It Was All Started By A Mouse
by Kartoon-Kompany
Summary: Author's Note: This is a piece of fiction I began to write back in 2008 while I was at WDW. This is the story of how a small mouse became an inspiration for a budding dreamer named Walt Disney. This story, places Mickey in Walt's "real world" from the farm to fame. Critiques are welcome; this is still a writing in the works.
1. Chapter 1

"**It Was all Started by a Mouse" **

**Written by: Mousegirl**

_I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self contained;_

_I stand and look at them long and long_

_They do not sweat and whine about their condition,_

_They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,_

_They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God_

_Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,_

_Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,_

_Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth._

_So they show their relations to me and I respect them_

_They bring me tokens of myself, they envince them plainly in their possession_

_I wonder where they get those tokens_

_Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?_

_**--Walt Whitman**_

**Chapter 1**

It was almost winter and the Kansas climate would soon turn very inhospitable, cold, dry and bitter. The sky was a beautiful canvas graced with sky blues and pure milky whites. Even with its beauty, it still foretold of a hard winter to come. The day had been somewhat tiresome for a little brown mouse whose name was Michi. It was tiresome for her because she was also expecting her first baby mouseling and knew her time was near. The old furniture warehouse she had lived in for most of her young like didn't seem safe anymore. Things were changing in some of the most unpleasant ways. The humans who worked there started putting strange smelling seeds around the place and her instincts told her not to eat them. There were times when food was very scarce, and this was one of these times. Some of the mice could not ignore their hunger and ate the seeds, only to get sick and die. The horrible sight of seeing them suffer told her it wasn't safe for her or her soon to be offspring.

Michi took her time and walked through the piles of twisted junk and old furniture which was thrown behind the warehouse. She tried to find a suitable place to prepare her nest. One thing she did know—her nest must be perfect. Her older sister was an expert. She knew how to gather the right materials and build a cozy nest for her mouselings. Most importantly hers grew up and thrived. Michi was the runt of the litter and was sort of looked down by her older siblings. But that was long ago.

As she looked around her, she sighed. The old warehouse had been home ever since she could remember. It was her school as well as her playground. Her mother taught her all the things a mouse should know to survive. Michi knew every nook and cranny of this building. She loved to climb up to the highest rafter and look out over the town. She could see the trains, wagons and people. At the warehouse she could even remember some of the names and even the faces of the men who worked there every day. It was her home, but something was telling her that maybe this was not the place for her mouseling to be born. It would be wonderful to raise her baby in the same place in which she grew up in, but maybe not. The cold breeze ruffled her fur a little, which pushed her to move on. Night was fast approaching so she gathered her courage like a cloak and pressed on.

******************************************

Michi turned and took one more look at the old warehouse and began her journey. Maybe one day she'll bring her baby back to at least look at the place she called home. As the darkness started to settle over everything, Michi took advantage of it. Since mice rely more on smell and hearing than sight, she sniffed the air and listened intently. She was her own compass that would hopefully lead her in the right direction. All through the night, she quietly traveled hoping not to come face to face with the many nocturnal dangers that come alive once the sun goes down. More than anything was her concern was for the little life she was carrying.

The night seemed never ending and Michi was exhausted when morning finally started to shed its light over the land. She really did not want to stop for anything but did manage to catch a quick nap in some tall deep grass before moving on. A drop of dew plopped on Michi's nose which woke her up. She stretched, yawned and rubbed her stomach. She could have sworn she felt her baby move again. "_Don't worry, little one, we'll be_ _home soon_," she whispered. The dawn cast its light on what looked like a small farm. It still seemed far away, but even from where she stood she could smell the stores of sweet grain and corn which has been gathered. She could also hear many sounds like a rooster crowing heralding the dawn and the clanging of the cowbells. The next sound she heard was her stomach growling and she giggled to herself. Suddenly, a soft breeze sweetly kissed her cheek. Maybe, Michi thought, she had found a new home and maybe a new life.

Michi started to slowly move toward the farm. Her heart beat quicker with each step she took; she was excited and nervous at the same time. Who lived there? Will she be able to make a friend or two? What would she do once she got there? Oh, that was simple; start right away making a place to stay for her and her baby.

After much maneuvering to still stay hidden, she finally made it to one of the large barns and peeked around the corner. She could hear the cows moving about by the clanging of their bells and heard chickens squawking over something they found in the yard. Then another creature caught her eye…a human! She pressed herself flat against the barn's side and didn't dare breathe. The human didn't see or sense her. That was one thing she couldn't quite understand about them. They seemed to own the world and its creatures, but were very weak when it came to their five senses. Her worry left her when the human went into what she perceived was the farmhouse.

Michi sighed, "Whew…now I have to really get busy!" She sniffed the air to make sure that there was nothing dangerous lurking around. Just as she was ready to take another sniff, something pecked her on her tail.

"OUCH!" shrieked Michi turning around suddenly. Looking back at her was a very round brown hen. Michi started backing away rubbing the spot where the hen just pecked her. "Um….sorry…I…I was just looking around," she stammered.

The hen turned her head quickly to the side as hens do and looked at her. "What are you looking for….vermin?" said the hen with an air of authority.

_Vermin_…that word sent a rare shiver up Michi's spine. That word made her feel like the lowest creature in the world. She wished she could come up with a word to describe this hen, but still tried to be very aware of her manners.

"Well, excuse me for…intruding….I'm sorry, but I came from the old warehouse in town to look for a safer place to call home for myself and"….then she rubbed her tummy. "I don't want to be a problem, and… I…can move on, it's not a problem," she continued. The hen turned her head again, stared at this mouse and the look on her face softened. Her eyes grew wide. She began to flap her wings and started clucking loudly. Michi was startled by the sudden flurry in which the hen ran around the corner of the barn. She could hear a lot of other hens clucking and heard them running around to her again. Michi became frightened and since she couldn't run very quickly in her condition, simply dropped to the ground and curled into a ball because she thought she was going to be pecked to death by all of these chickens with their sharp beaks!

Just when she thought the end had come, she felt a soft wing across her shoulder. She slowly peeked up and looked into the faces of the hen and her friends. They were making very soft clucking sounds. Michi managed a small smile and stood up slowly.

"Mouse, you are looking for a home, yes, yes, yes?" clucked the hen. Michi nodded and looked at the other hens around her. She cleared her throat and finally gathered the nerve to speak.

"It's not going to be much longer, I'm afraid," replied Michi. "I must find a nice quiet place which is safe for me and my baby. Do you think you will able to help me?" At this point, Michi felt like crying, and didn't really know why. A thinner hen stepped up and said. "I know of a place which you might like, yes, yes, yes!" she clucked. She put a wing around Michi's shoulder and the hens walked her to their henhouse.

It was very nice as compared to where she used to live. It was a large henhouse and housed maybe fifty or more chickens! She could smell the fresh straw which was inside the hen's nesting boxes. She looked all around but couldn't see where she could possibly live. Then the thin hen showed her a quiet corner of the henhouse. It was a very large old wooden box which might have been used for storage, but looked like it hadn't been used for a long time. When she opened the latch and stepped in, it was cozy. She had enough room to move around. With a little sweeping, it would be nice and clean in no time! She turned to all the hens around her and said happily, "Yes, yes, YES!"

For the rest of the afternoon, Michi and the hens cleaned out the box and later dined on corn and seeds. But whenever a human would come close by, she hid and peeked out at them. The hens would giggle at her timidity. The cows and the other farm animals met Michi and were happy to tell her where the humans put some of the extra milk before taking it into their house. The farm's cat was not pleased to meet Michi, though but the cows told him that if he harmed one hair on Michi's head, he would never get another drop of milk.

By the time the sun set, Michi had her nest all done and was very comfortable when she went to sleep that night. Her sister would be proud of her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was now the middle of November and there had been a few light snow flurries earlier in the day. For Michi, things were pretty quiet. She had brought in more corn to eat so she wouldn't have to move about too much. Michi was moving slower and slower and slept longer as the days went by. She also felt the tiny baby mouse kicking more and more frequently inside her tummy. The brown chicken whose name she learned was Clara was still watching her daily and the old hen was getting a little concerned for her new friend.

"Michi, Michi, Michi Mouse, how are you my dear?" she asked. Michi was snuggled down in her nest, her eyes closed. When she heard her friend's familiar clucking, she lifted her head. "Oh, hello there," Michi answered weakly. "I'm not feeling well today. I don't think I'll be going out either." Suddenly Michi started to cry.

"Michi, Michi." clucked Clara. "What is wrong? Is everything the way it should be?"

Michi was quiet for a minute, then blurted out, "I'm really getting scared, I am! I don't know what to do! I truly want to be a good mother!"

The hen looked at Michi kindly and put a wing over her shoulders and clucked softly to try to calm Michi down. She allowed Michi to cry then started to speak. "I know how you are feeling, little mouse. I have been a mother many, many times. Some of my children, the farmer allow me to raise, some of my children were taken away before they were grown, others…not even out of the shell yet. I have been thorough the happiness and the heartache. But I have raised chicks that I have been proud of. This little mouse that you are going to have…you will be a wonderful mother, and don't worry, you are not totally alone."

Michi rubbed her eyes and looked at the hen. She seemed so relaxed and calm and she believed what she was saying. "I really want to thank you for….helping me and taking me in. I don't know how I can…repay you… for all you have….done for me…" The hen wrapped both of her wings around Michi and gave her a hug. Michi started to softly cry again as the motherly hen held her.

Then suddenly Michi felt a terrible pain. "Oh…..no….," Michi whispered. "It's… happening…?" She rubbed her stomach in small circles. She cried out again and the hen helped her to lie back down. "I think your time has come, Michi."

In the world of animals, nature and instinct takes over. Clara fluttered her wings and made excited clucking sounds all over the henhouse. Even the other animals could hear the commotion and wondered what was happening. The farm dog, whose job it is to chase away foxes or weasels that raid henhouses, ran lightening quick to the henhouse.

He sniffed the air, looking confused. He saw the hens clucking and running about.

"Hey, what's wrong? What's happening?" he barked.

"Our little friend is about to be a mother!" clucked Clara. "Isn't that wonderful? We can't wait to see her baby!"

"Awwww…is THAT all? Hmph…another mouth to feed!" he sniffed. He went back outside the henhouse but instead of going back to the farmhouse, he decided to crouch down in the hen's doorway…just in case if he is needed…of course.

Michi though did not feel excited. She was scared and in a lot of pain. She felt her heart would beat out of her chest. She closed her eyes tight and clutched the edges of her nest.

The baby would stop moving for a while then would start up again, causing her more and more excruciating pain. It was a long night she had to endure alone…

When the sun rose on the cold morning of November 11, 1921, the earth welcomed one more tiny creature into the world. Michi was totally exhausted from giving birth, but relived. She could feel the tiny mouseling snuggling against her. She remembered when she saw him for the very first time. His wet, slick fur was glossy black which framed his tiny white face. Of course his eyes were closed. She knew he would be blind for a while before they would open. As she cleaned him off he finally made small, squeaking sounds. She thought her heart would burst with pride and love for her firstborn. She nuzzled his precious round ears, tiny black forepaws and feet. She giggled softly at the little string of a black tail.

Her nest was so comfortable and warm. She could build a perfect nest! If only her sister could see her now. If only she could see the sweet little mouseling she had during the night.

She heard a small pecking on the door of her box. It was Clara. Michi knew she had to be the first to see the little baby.

"Michi, Michi, Michi, you have a little baby!" Clara clucked musically. In fact, her clucking always sounded like she was singing. Michi raised her head slowly and nodded.

Clara tilted her head in curiosity to get a peek at the newborn. He was so snuggled in the nest it was hard to see him, so Michi moved just a little. He was learning how to nurse. He had to do that if he was going to survive his first few hours of life. With gentle nudges from Michi he was able to get his nourishment. Clara moved in closer and saw the tiny mouseling. Her eyes filled with love for this baby that wasn't even her own. It seemed she just loved babies no matter what creature it belonged to.

Another hen came up, and then another and another. They made those long soft clucking sounds chickens make when they are amongst themselves.

"What are you going to name him?" asked a fat white hen. "He must have a name that will take him very far!" "How about Reginald?"

"Henry!" added another hen.

"Louis!"

"Frederick!"

"Addison!"

The hens were clucking names at her so fast, all Michi could do was listen or shake her head. All of their clucking was starting to disrupt her baby. The mouseling turned over on his back exposing his round, fat little tummy. Michi looked at this funny little move and started to laugh. The mouseling gave a little squeak and turned back to snuggle against her warm fur.

"I really appreciate all your help, but I know the right name will come. He made me laugh just now when he turned over and made that squeaking noise. I remember a funny little man who worked at the old warehouse where I used to live. His name was Mickey. He used to make all the other men laugh with his antics and songs. When Mickey was there, it seemed to make the workday not so long for the others. You know, I think I will name him….Mickey….Mickey Mouse."

The tiny, newborn mouse yawned and snuggled closer to her again. Michi kissed this forehead and whispered, "Welcome to the world…my precious little Mickey."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As time went by, Mickey began growing and flourishing under his mother's care. He was of course much bigger than when he was born, but he kept his round face and chubby stomach. Mickey still nursed his mother, but not as often. Michi started to introduce him to eating solid foods such as grains and vegetables which he took without too much trouble. He also had extended "family" which were the hens, cows, and other animals around the farm, except the cat of course. He still didn't want to lose his milk supply, so he put up with Mickey's curiosity, tail pulling and short chases around the farm. It was kind of humiliating to be chased by a mouse, but he didn't want to risk going a day without his treat, so most of the time he tried to stay clear of Mickey.

Michi was noticing Mickey's curiosity, which also worried her about him. As soon as Mickey's black, button eyes opened, he had been getting into all sorts of things. He asked so many questions about the world around him, and Michi thought he might explode if he were to ask just one more! He seemed to be a little dare devil and fear wasn't a part of him. At least not for now. That's what worried her. Mice are jittery and careful by nature and for good reason. She had to sit him down to talk to him-- if he would be still for that long….

One thing Mickey was overly curious about was humans. He would hide low in the grass and watch the humans which lived in the house for hours on end. He looked at them riding in wagons, or in those noisy contraptions with wheels. He watched the children as they went to school each day. On warm summer nights, amongst the sparkling fireflies, Mickey listened to their music and could only give a squeak or trill to show his excitement. Humans were so amazing to him! Mickey seemed in a daydream when he watched their daily comings and goings. He looked over at his mother, his face beaming with questions, especially after he saw a particular machine which went into the fields every day. It had huge wheels and blades and smoke which came out of a little stack on the front. Mickey grinned from ear to ear when he saw that large mechanical monster.

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It was a warm summer evening when Mickey heard the rumble of the huge machine making its way from out of the field once more. He peeked out of the barn and ran under a discarded wagon. He could feel the earth vibrate under his bare feet. He carefully sniffed the air and smelled the smoke. It was coming back to the farm! Mickey was so excited that he started to run toward the noise, but before he could totally leave his hiding place, he felt a strong tug on his tail. He let out a squeal and turned around to see his mother pulling him back.

Michi picked Mickey up by the nape of his neck and took him inside to the nest. He knew that whenever she picked him up that way he was going to get punished. Mickey closed his eyes and flattened his ears when she put him down. He refused to stand, and his body flopped down to the floor.

Of course, Mickey couldn't talk in human language at this time, so Michi talked to him in the language of mice.

"_Mickey!"_ said Michi. _"What were you going to do just now?"_ She glared down at Mickey who still had his eyes closed and ears flattened. He was also had his body flat to the wooden floor like a bad puppy.

"_Well?"_ she snapped. Mickey wouldn't answer, so she started slapping Mickey's ears. He had sensitive ears and her slaps made him cry out. "_Why was she so mad?"_ he wondered to himself. This time he opened his eyes and looked imploringly at her. He didn't understand. Michi stopped when she saw his confused expression and slowly crouched down and tenderly scooped Mickey up in her arms. He started trembling and crying out of pain and of making his mother worry about him. Michi began rocking her mouseling, kissing the top of his head and stroking his soft black fur.

Mickey finally stopped wailing and was sniffling softly when Michi cupped his chin in her forepaws.

"_Mickey,"_ she began. "_I think it's time to begin talking to you about humans." _

"_Hu-mans?"_ Mickey asked. _"What are…humans?"_

"_Humans are those creatures you are so interested in watching every day. They live in_ _that big house across from where we are. Mickey, they are very different from us. They don't have fur or claws like us, but they can still be very dangerous. Especially for creatures like you and me Mickey."_

_Dangerous?_ She used that word. How could creatures who seemed to have so much to do every day be dangerous? They always did such wonderful things. They wore clothes and shoes and rode up and down the road on those loud machines. They could sing and dance and play fun games with each other. The horses would pull them along on trips in a wagon sometimes. Horses were so lucky.

Mickey stopped daydreaming and noticed the seriousness in his mother's face.

"_Why, mother?"_

"_Because we are considered….vermin…."_ She really hated that word. She didn't want to think her child was vermin, but it was something Mickey had to understand.

"_Ver-min,"_ Mickey tried repeating.

"_Humans work very hard to make sure we don't stay alive. They say we are vermin because they accuse us of spreading sickness and disease, eating their grain and making nests inside their houses. So they set traps, keep cats around or put poison down for us to eat to only later die a slow death."_

"_They want to… kill… us?"_ asked Mickey, turning a finger toward his chest. He really couldn't understand things like death and suffering yet, but he knew his mother was trying to get him to remember everything she was saying.

"_Mickey….you must…never…__**ever**__ let the humans catch you. Don't even __**begin**__ to think you can be their friend. I hope that is not what you are thinking of doing. The dog and cat you see around here __**can**__ be their friend. I don't know why, but dogs and cats are different. Mice are never friends with humans." _

"….._never friends with humans_….." She seemed so final in saying that.

Mickey nodded, but in his mind he still wished he could be a friend to a human. Just one. They were interesting. They did interesting things. Like making that huge machine move. He loved all of his barnyard friends, but humans…..

Suddenly Michi started crying. Mickey looked at her as she wiped the tears from her face. Mickey hugged her tightly but kept silent. He had to keep his wishes to be with humans to himself. One thing he didn't want to do would be to break his mother's heart.

"_You are all I have, Mickey,"_ said Michi. _"I just want to keep you safe, that's all." _

"_I love you SO much,"_ she whispered. _"Mickey….you must learn the way of mice, not men…if you are to survive."_

Mickey could feel her tears against his cheek which now mixed with his own.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

In the weeks and months that followed, Mickey tried everything within his power to be a good mouse. He spent his time learning things that mice should know-- balancing, jumping and how to find different types of food. He also learned how to use his senses; he could tell the differences between the yard dog or the fox by its smell. His nose and his ears are the most developed parts of being a mouse. Michi taught him these lessons very early by taking him out into the fields to make him find her by scent only. He didn't do too good the first few times because he can be easily distracted, but he was able to focus enough to find his mother no matter where she went.

His hearing was also getting very well developed. He could hear the faintest flutter of an owl's wings from a great distance away. Michi was so proud of him. The more he learned, the more he was able to take care of himself. She knew the day will come for her to no longer welcome him into the nest. He will have to take care of himself.

But for now, she will enjoy her baby Mickey and teach him everything he needs to know.

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Mickey was curled up in the nest when he heard some whistling. One of his ears stiffened and focused on the sound. He shivered a little and noticed his mother was not beside him. He put his head back down and closed his eyes to sleep some more. The whistling came again. This time, Mickey's curiosity took the better of him. It didn't sound like any bird he knew; he was taught to know the call of every bird around him. He stirred around in the nest, stretched and yawned. He tiptoed to the edge of the henhouse and looked. His eyes opened wide and his mouth dropped open.

The whistling came from a human, not a bird! _"Is there anything they can't do?"_ Mickey thought. The young man was walking around picking up a pail or other things he needed. _"He seems happy!"_ Mickey wondered. He was lost in thought as he looked at the young man busying himself around the farm. Then he saw something that really caught his eye—

The man was climbing into that huge mechanical machine!

In the next few moments, Mickey was mesmerized again. He sniffed the air, thinking he could pick up some sort of insight into what was going to happen next. Maybe he sniffed because he felt nervous. He also twitched his ears to pick up any noises which may be close by, like his mother sneaking up behind him for instance. He definitely didn't want to have his mother catch him staring at the humans again. Usually, on this day he knew his mother went far out into the fields to gather pecans or pears from the trees which didn't grow close by. He loved it when she brought back those special treats.

His thought of food was disrupted when he heard a huge noise and felt the rumble under his feet. The mechanical monster was starting up as the smokestack puffed out volumes of black smoke. Its motor rumbled a long time. Mickey was growing more and more excited with each revolution it made. Finally the machine pulled out and went to the fields. Mickey was grinning as he saw how the machine turned this way and that to maneuver its way into the huge field ahead of it.

Mickey didn't feel himself slowly following the mechanical monster. It was as if he was being pulled magically by the noise and the blades spinning around and around. He thought he heard those chickens cackling or the cows, and maybe the farm's dog, but he didn't turn his head to look back.

The sky was starting to get dark. The young man driving the tractor wanted to get the last bit of earth dug up before he went in. Those were storm clouds coming, and lightning was not pleasant to farmers riding on tractors. He drove down to the very end of the field and believed he can bring it up one more time before heading in.

Mickey took his chances and scampered very far away from his home now. He looked behind him and saw _how_ far away he actually was. For one split second, he decided to head back, but when he saw the machine do a quick turn, he moved closer toward it.

He would just have to be scolded again for this one.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Michi was humming happily to herself as she brought back a wonderful treat of pecans and pears for her and baby Mickey to eat. He was growing so fast, it seems she can never keep him full enough! She was just heading into the henhouse when suddenly she was overcome by a flurry of wings and clucking, and barking.

"Michi, Michi, Michi! Oh, this is terrible!" clucked Clara as she came running up. With her was the farmer's dog. He was barking wildly. Michi knew it must have something to do with Mickey.

"What's happened? What's wrong?" asked Michi, dropping all of the treats on the floor of the henhouse.

"Your Mickey went out into the fields!" said Clara. "We tried to call him back, but he kept going farther out!

"We couldn't go after him, because it's off limits for us too!" added the dog.

"MICKEY!!" screamed Michi. "Oh, my good heavens…..I've got to go after him!" Michi's eyes were wide with fear, because she didn't know what was out there herself; but if her baby was out there, she had to go.

The sky was getting stormier and the wind and rain was coming any minute. Michi didn't feel anything but the need to get her baby back in her arms again.

"_Oh, Mickey, why? Why don't you listen to me?"_ whispered Michi as she went toward the fields. She could easily pick up his scent. She suddenly stopped. What she saw made her heart freeze. Mickey was running alongside that machine!

"_MICKEY! MICKEY!"_ screamed Michi as loudly as she could. Being a mouse, her voice was not strong at all, but she knew Mickey would respond if he heard her. The machine seemed to swallow all sound which existed outside its realm.

Mickey didn't hear her, even if he tried. He was hypnotized by the wheels, blades, gears and smoke. The turning of the wheels drew him closer and closer until……

There was a hard yank on his tail and he felt his body leaving the ground, or so he thought. He landed on a clump of damp, overturned earth. Mickey got a snout-full of dirt and he shook his head madly to get rid of it. As he was getting ready to stand up, he heard the most horrible sound he ever heard in his life.

He heard his mother screaming in pain. He turned quickly to see the tractor heading back to the farm, the roar of the engine growing fainter and fainter. Mickey stood where he was for what seemed an eternity. He looked at the spot where he thought the screaming came from and carefully sniffed the air. It smelled of the tractor, the human and ….. _his mother…_

Mickey let out a terrified squeal and ran toward the spot. He saw the familiar form—_it_ _was _his mother…but she wasn't moving. Mickey stared at her lifeless body and felt a cold shiver come over his own. He moved closer and finally realized that it was her….she was still breathing, but it seemed difficult. Mickey carefully nuzzled her cheek to let her know he was there. Michi managed to open her eyes a little to see her precious baby once more. She saw the white face, black button eyes and those round ears. She lifted her head to nuzzle Mickey's cheek also. Mickey could feel the first drops of rain fall on his back.

Michi tried to speak to him, but couldn't. She lifted her arm and pulled Mickey close to her body as if they were back in the warm nest. Mickey snuggled close to her and cried as if he could go on forever.

"_Mamma….I'm so sorry-- so, so sorry. Please don't leave me! Please, Mamma….!"_ sobbed Mickey. _"I couldn't help it. I'm bad and horrible….mamma….HORRIBLE! I didn't listen to you. You told me to leave those humans alone, but…I wouldn't! Oh, mamma, I don't know what I'll do without_ _you!_ _You still have a lot to teach me. On tomorrow…you can take me back to the fields like you used to… and I will listen to every word you say! If you go away, what will happen? I need you! I_ _need you…..please….I promise….I PROMISE!!_ _I will never break your heart like this_ _again!_ _Let's go back home… we can eat those treats you brought back and laugh like we did yesterday! Momma…don't hate me…please, please, don't…hate…me… _His pleas were met with silence. He felt her gentle paw stroke his head as if to say all was forgiven. He closed his eyes to relish her loving caresses once more. Mickey could not accept this. Deep in his heart he knew that this was all his fault.

_His fault his mother is …._

There was one last sigh he heard his mother give, and then… silence. Mickey lifted his head and looked at his mother. _"I love you! MAMMA? MAMMA!"_ he screamed as he violently shook her. Her eyes were closed and her face was relaxed. He could swear he still saw a gentle smile on her lips. He embraced her and nuzzled her face in an effort to elicit a hint of life but he already knew the truth. She will never give him her comfort or security again.

The rain started falling harder now and thunder rumbled closer. Mickey tried to snuggle close to his mother's dead body for the last bit of warmth it contained. He was determined that he was not going to leave her side no matter how hard it poured. The thunder, lightning and torrents of rain came and drowned out Mickey's mournful cries for his mother….and also for himself. He lifted his head to face his mother once more and whispered, _"Where ever you are right now mamma, take me with you….I don't want to stay_ _here any longer_…_I will be your baby…forever_.." He laid his head back down, and could no longer hear anything as the night's storm swallowed him up in misery.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Mickey was dreaming, or so he thought. His eyes were closed, but he felt he was experiencing so many things at the same time. His body wasn't moving, but still he could sense something was going on around him. Mickey wanted to move so badly, but there was not enough strength in his body to do it. He felt like lead. He heard strange sounds, smelled strange scents and everything told him to get up and run. He couldn't.

Maybe he was dead. Maybe he is truly with his mother like he wanted to be.

But at the same time, he felt comfortable and warm like back in the nest at the henhouse. Of course! It was all a horrible dream! His mother will be back with treats from the field, and he will stay by her side like she wanted him to. Let the machine go to the fields, he will stay in the nest and eat pears and pecans and listen to Clara make silly clucking sounds that made him laugh.

Suddenly, he heard a loud noise…

The noise made Mickey open his eyes wide. Before his face he saw wire. He managed to lift his head to look beyond as best he can. His body was covered with some sort of….cloth? This is what made him warm. Not his mother. He closed his eyes for a second, but his nose picked up a scent which made his black fur stand on end.

It was a…._human!_

There was no mistaking it! His heart started beating wildly as he tried to make an effort to move. He was in a cage of some sort, so he couldn't do a whole lot. At least he could stretch his legs. Mickey's dark eyes looked in terror as he heard footsteps coming closer and closer to him. It looked like the same young man who drove the tractor the other evening….when his mother died. The man knelt down and looked at him. Mickey curled into a ball and began trembling.

***********************************************************************

The man laughed a little bit when he saw the black mouse inside the cage. Mickey tried to get a glance at his face, but was too scared to lift his head all the way to look at him. He heard the man make this sound, but couldn't understand it. Mickey shut his eyes tight and continued to tremble. _"I wish he would go away…please go away,"_ Mickey pleaded in his mind. _"I just want to die. Leave me alone."_

Then, without warning, Mickey felt something soft touch the top of his head between his ears. He jumped back against the back of the cage and for the first time looked defiantly in the man's face. He saw no anger in the man's face, but he wasn't taking any chances.

Mickey bit him. Hard.

"Owwww!" Dog gone it!" The young man shook his hand and then looked at it. That mouse really did put one serious bite on his hand. He cursed some more then went to the sink. Mickey could hear water running. The man came back to the cage to stare at the mouse once more.

"Hmmmm….you are a little fighter, aren't you?" laughed the young man. He bent down a little lower and peeked at the mouse. Mickey stared back at him. The man didn't really seem mad at him, but he wasn't taking any chances with this human. The man stood up, and Mickey saw him walking away.

"Hey Walt, is that you making all this noise and cursing up a storm?" Mickey tried peeking again, but couldn' t make out anything. It was another human. Footsteps came into the room but Mickey didn't move.

"Oh, hi Roy," said Walt. He was still tending to the nasty bite Mickey gave him. Roy came closer and looked at his brother's hand.

"That looks pretty bad. What type of critter bit you like that? Don't you think you better let the doc tend to it?" asked Roy.

"I think I'll be ok," said Walt, his voice still sounding like he was in pain. "Meet the newest member of the family" he added sarcastically. He nodded toward the cage, and Roy walked cautiously toward it.

"What have you caught now? Ha, ha, you and your critters. Why don't you leave these things outside where they belong? He walked toward the cage and took a peek. He stepped back quickly and looked at Walt with a surprised look on his face.

"Wow! That's some mouse you have there! Kinda big too," said Roy loudly. "Where did you find him? He has an interesting little face though."

"I was out in the field yesterday afternoon. I wanted to plow up that last patch of dirt because the weather's been calling for rain. So I took the tractor out there before the storms came. This morning when I went outside to look at the field again, was when I found him. There was another somewhat large brown mouse out there too. I suppose it was his mother. I thought this little fellow was dead when I lightly touched it with my foot. I saw it flick his ear and that's when I saw it was still alive."

"I ran back to the work shed, got a box and gently placed him in it, not expecting him to stay alive much longer. I must have accidentally killed its mother. You know animals will do that sometimes. They won't leave the one that's been slain, but will remain until death comes to itself as well. This little fellow was soaked to the skin and was cold to the touch. I really didn't think he would bounce back. I dried him off as well as I could, and wrapped an old flannel shirt around him. I thought about trying to force feed him some bread soaked with milk, but decided against it. Glad I didn't." He looked at his hand again.

Roy went back to the cage to peek at Walt's catch again. Beady black eyes stared back at him, and the mouse continued to look defiant.

"Walt, what are you going to do?" Are you going to try to save him, or let him go?"

Walt went to the cage and peeked at Mickey too. He seemed to be a bit taken with this strange looking little mouse. He wanted to let him go, but at the same time, he wanted to keep him around. Only time would tell.

"Why don't we let him make up his mind," replied Walt, opening the cage door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Was this human setting him free? He was very confused, but tried to keep hold of his senses. He sniffed the air again and looked around. This room was small, but comfortable. Finally Mickey started to explore. He looked at every nook and cranny to gain some type of insight as to what this human world was all about.

The door opened once again and Mickey ran behind a chair. The man came back. What was going to happen now?

"Hey mousie, where are you?" said Walt in a somewhat playful voice. Mickey peeked around the chair and saw the man staring back at him. He had a tin pan in his hand, the hand which also had a rag bandage around it.

Walt crouched down so he could be on Mickey's level. He spoke in a very soft and quiet voice. "I brought you some food because I know you must be starving. I'm not going to hurt you. Come on," he coaxed.

He put the tin on the floor and stepped back a little. The food smelled so good to Mickey. His stomach needed some type of nourishment. Walt left the room again, closing the door.

Mickey sniffed the air and slowly emerged from his hiding place. He saw the food and went toward it. It consisted of some raw vegetables and peanuts. Mickey didn't realize how hungry he really was and finished the food very quickly. Now that his stomach was full, he started exploring again.

"_What kind of place is this? The humans must come in here a lot_ ," Mickey wondered as he continued taking in his surroundings. He felt a slight breeze tickle his ears and he sniffed the air again. Looking up, he saw an open window. Freedom! He climbed upon the table to get closer. On the table, he saw sheets of paper. Of course Mickey never saw paper before, and unknowingly put his dirty footprints all over it. He stuck his head out the window and saw the barns and the fields from where he was. Mickey leaned further out the window and decided to leave to make his way back to the henhouse and the nest.

Mickey used his innate mouse skills to quickly scamper undetected back to the farm area. As soon as the cows and pigs saw him, they started making noises. Mickey looked at them, but didn't stop to speak. He saw the familiar henhouse and quickly ran inside. He stopped short when he saw the familiar box. Mickey stared and stared at what seemed like eons ago when he and his mother shared the nest together. Tears gathered in his eyes and his thoughts flew back to the moment he decided to disobey is mother and to follow that tractor out into the field.

"Mickey, Mickey, Mickey Mouse?"

Mickey knew that familiar cluck anywhere. He slowly turned and saw Clara standing behind him. It was hard to look at her for some reason, but he managed a shy glance and turned to go into the nesting box.

There it was…empty….no matter how he tried to imagine her there, she will never be back again. The nest was still there and Mickey climbed into it, curled into a ball and cried. _"Why do I have to be so…so…disobedient? I only think of having fun all the time,_ _never about what is right or wrong_," Mickey lamented.

Mickey's cries were interrupted by clucking again, but it wasn't Clara's. A rooster poked his head into the box. Mickey looked at the rooster who was eyeing him suspiciously. Mickey started to feel uneasy being there. He slowly lifted himself from the nest and made his way back toward the entrance.

Once out, he saw Clara, the farm dog, some geese and other chickens. Clara approached Mickey but not like she used to. She seemed not to be in a playful mood like she used to be either.

"Mickey, Mickey….why did you come back?," asked Clara. "How could you, how could you?" She still loved Mickey as much as she loved Michi and it secretly broke her heart to have to see him and treat him like this. Clara lowered her head and walked out of the henhouse.

Mickey was confused. _"I….I…wanted to come back here….to…..," _he stammered.

"To ease your guilt?" shouted the rooster. "It is YOUR FAULT that your sweet and loving mother is dead….killed by the farmer's tractor. Your mother tried to teach you the ways of humans, to keep you safe, and you disobeyed her one time too many. Now we learn that the humans took you inside their house! Is that true?"

Mickey was shocked at what the rooster was saying to him. _"I….yes, I-I-I was in the house_ _with the humans, one of them even saved my life! They left a window open for me to leave if I wanted to, and I came back here!"_

"For what? To lead some of the other young ones here at the farm to be disobedient like you? We will not tolerate that!" growled the farm dog. "I AM the only one besides the cat and horses who is to be with the humans, not vermin like you! How DARE you try to take MY place in the house with them? You should have died that same night along with your mother!"

"_NO! I didn't mean for my mother to die!"_ Mickey shouted back. _"I didn't mean…."_

Before he could finish his sentence, the dog grabbed Mickey in its jaws. The dog fiercely began shaking the mouse back and forth like a rag doll. He let Mickey go and his body was flung against the wall. Mickey kept his eyes closed as he grimaced in pain. He could hear other loud noises, and then he felt chicken claws and beaks tearing at his flesh; especially around his face.

"_OH NO! They are… trying to….?"_ Mickey thought. He tried to open his eyes, and saw the dog coming at him again.

He sensed that the dog was trying to get to his stomach area. His instincts told him that the dog wanted to kill him by attacking the most vulnerable part of his body.

"_NO! This is not the end! Not the END!"_ Mickey's thoughts flew wildly in his mind as he struggled to get to his feet. He opened his eyes wide and faced the dog. With all the might he could muster, he clamped his teeth onto the dog's muzzle. The dog let out a yelp and tried to get Mickey to let go. While he gripped the dog in a death lock, Mickey tasted the dog's blood and could still feel his own flesh being clawed and attacked by the chickens and geese.

The dog made a powerful swing with his neck and Mickey released his grip. Mickey felt his body being airborne once again, but this time landing on the ground outside the henhouse. He opened his eyes but he wasn't able to see much of anything. Everything was growing fuzzy. He thought he heard the human's voice and his footsteps coming closer.

Then….there was a deep silence….


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Boy, Walt, that little critter sure put up a fight."

"Yeah, but, I don't expect him to live to see morning. Looks real serious this time," replied Walt to his brother Roy as he tried to clean Mickey's wounds with a damp towel. "I wished I hadn't left that window open. I didn't realize he was strong enough to jump out. But I also realized it might not had been a good idea to keep him indoors either."

"Later, I heard a loud commotion out around the henhouse, and ran to see what was happening. That's when I saw this fellow on the ground in a bloody mess. I don't know what he was doing that far from here, but it seemed a bit strange how those usually docile chickens and geese were attacking him. My dog was out there too. I'm still amazed this mouse is still alive."

Roy grabbed his hat and coat to leave. "Well, Dr. Disney, let me know if the patient pulls through or not."

"Sure thing," replied Walt, never taking his eyes off the mouse.

Walt's wife, Lillian came into the room with the flannel shirt that was wrapped around Mickey before when he was in the cage. She came to the worktable where Walt sat. The kerosene lamp gave a soft glow to the room and gave the place a feeling like it was a mini hospital of sorts.

Earlier, she had given Walt an old laundry basket to put Mickey in. She felt a little squeamish when she saw this rodent, and asked Walt why would he try to save this animal. But her arguments fell on deaf ears; she already knew her answer. Walt loved animals, and this bedraggled rodent was no different. So she appointed herself as a nursemaid to help this creature survive the night, if it was to be, that is.

The bottom of the laundry basket was lined with fresh straw, which still had a wonderful sweet odor to it. Walt sighed, took the flannel shirt and wrapped it gently around Mickey's battered body.

Walt took the towel and continued to dab the wounds around Mickey's face. As he did so, he really looked at the mouse's face for the first time. He took in the details like how the black fur framed the white face. He never quite saw a mouse with markings like this before. There were no more white or other colored spots of fur on his body like other mice. He was jet black all over. Walt made a slight smile as he continued to study this little creature. There was something adorably funny about this mouse's appearance. He was round, but not fat; kind of like a baby's fat, which was cute in a strange way.

"Well, if you survive the night, I've got to find a name for you," Walt whispered. "I don't think you'll be going outside to the farm any time soon."

While Mickey rested in the basket, Walt went to his drawing table. There were stacks of paper with drawings on them. Most of them were of cows, cats, or dogs. But most of all, there were drawings of a rabbit which wore a pair of shorts.

***********************************************************************

Dawn was beginning to break, and the soft light filtered into the room. Lillian knew that Walt didn't come to bed, but stayed up watching over his fuzzy patient. She quietly opened the door to the workroom and she was right. Walt was asleep in the chair. She then tiptoed to the basket and was afraid to peek in, but she couldn't hold in the suspense any longer.

She gently pulled back the flannel shirt and noticed that the mouse was still breathing! He also seemed a little more peaceful than he looked the night before. Just as she was pulling the shirt back over the mouse, Walt began to stir. Lillian turned and looked at his sleepy face.

Walt stood up stiffly and tried to stretch. Sleeping in wooden chairs is not recommended for anyone! When he saw Lillian, he remembered his patient and clumsily stumbled towards the basket. Lillian put her lips to her mouth.

"Shhhh!" she whispered. "Look at him. How does he look, doctor?" She was still playing her role as vet nurse.

Walt pulled the flannel shirt away and inspected Mickey's body. The mouse felt warmer than the night before and he was breathing easier.

"He looks a little better, that's not saying much. I think he still has a long way to go though," whispered Walt. He reached into the basket and stroked Mickey's forehead. Mickey let out a very soft squeaking sound.

Walt and Lillian looked at each other and smiled. "He just might make it after all," he said.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Being a mouse, Mickey had no sense of time. He only knew when he was sleepy, hungry, sick, or wanted to play. In his days following the attack, he was mostly sleepy, hungry, or in pain. He remained in his basket for the most part, but he did climb out to explore and eat. Every now and then the human who was called "Walt" came to look in on him. Mickey somewhat established in his mind that these humans did not want to hurt him, so he didn't bite or fight them anymore, besides for some reason the need to fight was all but gone from him.

Today, Mickey was alone in the workroom. Walt didn't come to see him. It was also raining outside. The rain falling against the windows panes made Mickey remember one very unpleasant event….the night he lay beside his dying mother. He stared blankly at the window and his mind went back to other rainy days when he would play in the puddles and his mother would laugh and tickle his feet as he ran back into the henhouse.

"_None of this would be happening to me,"_ he thought. "_I don't know if I'll ever be truly happy again. I don't care what will happen to me anymore…"_

With all these memories and strange thoughts flooding his mind, Mickey started to cry again. He put his head down and tried to hide himself from the world. Suddenly he heard the click of the door opening. It was Lillian.

She quietly closed the door behind her and walked towards the basket. Mickey still had his head down and was trembling.

"Hey there, little mousie," she began. "What's wrong, huh? Walt didn't see you today, is that it? You miss him, don't you?" she whispered. The mouse didn't lift his head, but gave a small whimper. _"Oh, there's so much I miss," _he tried to say, but of course in his mouse language. Lillian chuckled at his strange sounds but took her chances and softly stroked Mickey's head. This time Mickey lifted his head and looked directly at her. "_You….are…like my mother… in a way_….," he thought.

She continued to talk softly. "Oh, my…are you scared to be in here by yourself? Being alone can be scary sometimes, especially when you're small. But guess what? I'm right here with you."

Now she knew she was risking being bitten by this mouse, but this time he seemed to look so helpless and alone. She gently lifted him from the basket and wrapped him in the flannel shirt as if he was a human baby. She was also a bit surprised as to how heavy he seemed. When she saw he wasn't fighting her, she cradled him in her arms and went to the wooden armchair. Mickey let out a tiny trill sound, a sound he hadn't made in a long time.

He felt so safe, warm and comfortable being held in her arms like that. Lillian started to hum softly while stroking his forehead and velvety forepaws. Mickey let out a yawn, and snuggled close to her as all the terrible demons and monsters escaped his mind to be replaced with a peaceful slumber mixed with the sounds of dewy raindrops softly tapping against the windowpanes.

* * *

Walt finally made it back home in time for dinner. He came into the house, but wasn't greeted by Lillian. He called out for her, but heard no answer. Then he thought that maybe…just maybe she went to the workroom. But he also knew she was a little scared of the mouse that was on the mends in there.

He followed his hunches, and he was right. When he came to the workroom, he saw the door ajar. He peeked inside and saw his wife. She looked drowsy, and when he looked closer, he saw the flannel bundle in her arms. He tiptoed inside, and Lillian looked up.

She put her finger to her lips, "Shhh….," she said and nodded to the bundle in her arms.

Walt wanted to laugh, but managed a soft snicker. "How's the baby?" he whispered.

"Fine, he looks more like you every day!" whispered Lillian, who was also holding back a snicker.

She slowly stood up, turned and tiptoed back to the worktable. Mickey was in a deep slumber and didn't know he was being placed back into his basket. Lillian tucked the flannel around him and also tucked his tail under the covers as well.

"I'm amazed!" whispered Lillian. "He didn't give me a single problem. It was as if he understood I was only trying to help him."

"He does seem kind of smart, doesn't he?" replied Walt. "Well, since he hasn't made a break for it again, maybe he wants to stay. If that's the case, then he'll have to have a name, won't he?" asked Walt.

"This seems like something permanent," said Lillian raising her eyebrows.

"Well, I hate referring to him as "mousie" or "fellow". I want to give him a name that maybe he'll recognize as his own," said Walt.

"Well…..if I don't get dinner on, we'll both starve as we fret over your little patient!" said Lillian playfully as she left the workroom to head to the kitchen.

Walt turned to look at Mickey in the basket. He was still sleeping soundly.

"Hmmm….I like the name "Rascal". You do seem like one. I think that's what I'm going to call you," decided Walt. "Rascal…Rascal Rodent…."

He turned and walked over to his table with all the drawings on them. He picked up a pencil, and stared at a blank sheet of paper for a long time until he heard his name being called for dinner.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Time was going by and gradually Mickey had outgrown his basket. He healed slowly, but eventually he became his naturally curious, happy self, especially when he had something to do. Walt and Lillian was getting quite used to having Mickey around and no longer worried about his running away. But Walt never tried to keep him a prisoner so he didn't block doorways or windows just in case if the mouse wanted to be free of humans once again.

Walt and Lillian decided earlier on that this was a very bright mouse, he seemed to have an "understanding" of things around him and adjusted pretty well, except when it came to one issue--his name. Walt started calling him "Rascal," but the mouse never seemed to respond to it totally, unless Walt made motions with his hands that he wanted the mouse to come to him. Lillian would try also, calling "Rascal! Rascal! Where are you?" but the mouse would look at her and go the other way. Only a treat would get him to turn around but only for the treat--not because he had "accepted" the name.

One day, Walt was in his workroom at his drawing board. He loved drawing and creating characters, especially the four-legged kind. He had to begin putting his paper and pencils in a hiding place because "Rascal" would get into them and there would be shredded paper and gnawed pencils all over the floor. Natural mouse behavior to be annoyingly destructive--but Walt would simply laugh and find a place where "Rascal" couldn't get to.

Walt, with pencil in hand, began drawing his latest creation--a rabbit, black in color which wore a pair of shorts. He drew this rabbit all over the paper in different poses or different expressions, when he felt a pair of eyes looking at him.

He looked down and it was "Rascal." He was staring at him and not moving much. Walt felt a little uneasy the way the mouse was staring at him like that. "Hey, Rascal, what's wrong? Hungry? I can't play with you right now, I have some work I have to finish," said Walt very kindly. But "Rascal" continued to stare, but tilted his head a little while Walt talked to him. "Rascal?"

"M-M-M i-i-i-i-i," said "Rascal." "M-M-M-I kkkk," "Rascal" struggled again.

Something unbelievable just happened….Walt couldn't believe his ears….

"Rascal" sounded like he talked! No….he was just making sounds…maybe "Rascal" is feeling sick again.

"Huh?" wondered Walt out loud this time, not taking his eyes off the mouse. "Rascal" put his head down, stared at the floor for a second, then lifted his head again.

"M-M-M-iiiiikkkkkeeee," was the sound the mouse made again. It did sound so strange, a little like human mixed with rodent all in one. Funny….

This time Mickey came closer to Walt and placed his furry "hands" on his knees and looked Walt in the eyes. Walt was really feeling nervous now. Maybe "Rascal" has rabies? Going to bite him?

"What IS it, Rascal?" pleaded Walt, but he didn't raise his voice for fear the mouse might do something. "Rascal" didn't seem aggravated, he just seemed he wanted something-- but what?

"M-M-M-I-I -KEEE!" said the mouse again, but a little quicker and louder. This time it was so clear that the mouse said a word…a name!

Walt jumped up, knocking over the stool and the mouse in the process. He backed up, not taking his eyes off the mouse. He stared at him opening his mouth wide. The mouse stood up and stared at Walt once more.

"M-I-I-KEEE!" said the mouse and then gave a happy trill.

Walt crouched down so he could be on his level. "Mickey?" asked Walt. "Is….that….your…name?" He still felt like this was a dream. Maybe he was tired. He put out his hand and petted "Mickey" between the ears. Mickey closed his eyes. He loved that.

"Mickey….," repeated Walt in almost a whisper. The mouse responded again with a trill.

He was showing Walt pure happiness, and Walt finally began to understand.

"Did you REALLY talk just now?" he said softly to Mickey. "I still don't want to believe it." Walt stood straight and walked across the room. He turned around and looked at the mouse.

"Mickey!" he called. The mouse ran right up to him.

"THIS IS YOUR NAME!" shouted Walt. Without thinking, he picked Mickey up and hugged him. Mickey rubbed his face against his.

Lillian heard the loud talking and came to see if Roy had stopped by. When she opened the door, she saw Walt hugging the mouse and laughing!

"Walt! What is going on! What did "Rascal" do?" she asked, startled.

"Lillian! Something amazing just happened! Please don't think I'm crazy…" began Walt.

Lillian folded her arms and looked upward. "I crossed that bridge after I married you!" she said sarcastically, then grinned. "Now what is going on?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that this mouse just spoke?" asked Walt.

"No, I would just think you need to take a break from drawing…now mice are talking…," said Lillian, putting her hands on her hips.

Walt put Mickey down on the floor and looked at Lillian.

Walt began, "I was at the drawing table, and "Rascal" came up to me. I could feel him watching me and I was right. He was so still and honestly I started feeling a little nervous because he wasn't moving very much. I told him I was busy, but of course I knew he couldn't understand what that meant, but he came closer. He put his paws on my knees and started making a sound. He repeated it over and over. The more he repeated it, the more it was making sense. He said "Mickey." I was shocked of course, jumping up and knocking my chair and the mouse over! Next thing I did was to walk across the room. I called "Mickey!" and he came right up to me! Lillian! His name is MICKEY!"

"Mickey huh…?" said Lillian skeptically. She looked again at the mouse who was across the room tearing up some more paper. He didn't seem to be listening.

Lillian crouched down and called his name. "Mickey! Mickey!" she said.

Mickey turned around and stopped tearing the paper. He stared at Lillian, then ran up to her. Lillian was so startled she toppled over when he jumped in her arms. He rubbed his face next to hers. She cringed at first, but realized he was showing love, in a mouse way of course.

"This is amazing!" cried Lillian now looking at Mickey who had now rested his head against her shoulder like a small child. Walt looked down, nodding.

"See? I TOLD you!" said Walt, now helping Lillian to her feet. She still held on to Mickey and was now rubbing his back and hugging him.

"Mickey….Mickey Mouse," whispered Lillian. "What a cute name. Animals _do_ give their offspring names then!"

Walt began looking thoughtful. He then looked at his drawing board. It was covered in drawings of the rabbit. Behind him he could hear Lillian cooing and playing with Mickey.

Walt flipped the page to a clean sheet of paper. He believed he just had a bright idea….


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11_

_**Now that Mickey's real name was known and accepted in the Disney household, there were other questions that both Walt and Lillian wondered about this mouse and animals in general. Mickey seemed to be happy most of the time, but Lillian noticed probably more than Walt that the mouse had some days when he just wasn't himself.**_

_**Today was such a day. Walt was gone and Mickey was by himself. Mickey now had the freedom to wander in other areas of the house, which he enjoyed because he loved exploring. Lillian had to keep breakables out of reach, because he would definitely find them for curiosity's sake, and *ping* it would soon be crashing to the floor. **_

_**The dog was not in the house as much either now that Mickey was about. Walt rememberd the day he saw the mouse's bloody body lying in the yard and the dog standing not far, so he kept the dog away for fear it might happen again. But even if the dog glimpsed Mickey through the screen, he would bark and growl wildly at him. Only Mickey knew the real reason, and he certainly wasn't telling.**_

_**Ever since he began uttering human speech, Mickey began learning new words besides his name. Lillian would point at things and tried to get him to understand. It wasn't easy, for Mickey didn't always pay attention very well; but he was able to repeat some of the words and small sentences, even though his speech flow was still pretty broken. Lillian also played the radio during the day, and Mickey heard music, and funny shows. Even though he couldn't understand everything that was said he was able to pick up some phrases or jingles he heard every now and then, much to Walt and Lillian's amusement. **_

_**The radio was playing today too, and the "Fibber McGee and Molly" show was on. It seemed to be one of Mickey's "favorites." Lillian was in the kitchen in the process of baking a chocolate cake when she thought that maybe Mickey might like to taste some of it. She went into the living room where she thought he was, and found him lying on the couch by the radio. He was just lying there, but wasn't asleep. He didn't lift his head when he heard her come into the room either.**_

"_**Hey, Mickey!" said Lillian coming closer. "I have something in the kitchen you might like…cake!" **_

_**Mickey blinked, but didn't respond. Lillian stared at him, wondering.**_

"_**Mickey? What's wrong?" she asked softly.**_

"_**Sad," said Mickey. **_

"_**Sad?" replied Lillian. "Why?"**_

"_**Mam-ma," said Mickey. "Mam-ma" He almost sounded like a talking doll when he said this word.**_

_**Lillian never stopped being amazed with this creature. She was quiet for a minute, then stroked his forehead. "You want your mamma?" she asked **_

_**Mickey lifted his head and looked at her. She already knew that could not happen. She always thought animals usually forgot about their parents and siblings once they grew older. She thought the bond lasted until the babies started eating solid foods, and then the mother would chase them off to make their own way. Not so with this mouse.**_

"_**Sad Mickey," said Mickey. He sat up on the couch now and leaned on Lillian's shoulder. She smelled like chocolate icing and sugar. Nice. Lillian put an arm around him and held him close. **_

"_**Did your mamma give you your name, Mickey?" asked Lillian.**_

"_**Mamma call me Mickey," he replied, not looking at her.**_

"_**Mickey is a good name," said Lillian**_

"_**Mickey is bad," he replied.**_

"_**Why?"**_

"_**Mickey made mamma get hurt." **_

"_**You still remember that?"**_

"_**Yes."**_

"_**You are not bad, Mickey."**_

"_**Mickey will not see mamma any….more. "**_

"_**Shhhh…." , said Lillian trying to soothe Mickey.**_

"_**Mickey, do you remember a very special word I taught you?"**_

"_**Hmmmm…" thought Mickey. **_

_**Lillian touched his nose playfully. "Of course you do. There's a song you like to hear on the radio…"a special little thing called…."**_

"_**Love," replied Mickey.**_

"_**That's right!" said Lillian. "I didn't give you that word for you to forget. That word is more important than all the other words you will ever learn."**_

"_**Why?" asked Mickey.**_

"_**Because it's what Walt and I feel for you. It's a word to let you know that you are never alone, especially when you are missing your mother. Love is a very strong feeling inside your heart," explained Lillian placing a finger toward his chest. **_

_**Mickey placed his velvety black hand to his chest and could feel his heart beating. His heart still beat while his mother's….**_

_**He closed his eyes and started crying. He threw himself on the floor and kneeled. **_

"_**I don't love Mickey!" he sobbed. "I hate Mickey!" he shouted. "Mamma loved Mickey. Mickey was bad!"**_

_**Lillian was shocked and taken aback at such strong emotion he was putting forth. She knelt down beside him and took him in her arms. He was crying uncontrollably and his body shook. She kissed his forehead and tried to calm him down. He wrapped his arms around her and allow his feelings to flow. He felt he can never let this go. Never.**_

_**A soft orchestral tune came over on the radio, and it seemed to calm Mickey down a little. His body no longer shook and he gave small sniffles as his body started to relax. Lillian continued to stroke his head and hold him. She was really beginning to worry about this mouse. How will Walt and I deal with this? Is he always going to remember the incident? Will the day come when he will forget it totally? **_

_**When she looked down at Mickey once more, she noticed he was starting to go to sleep…**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Springtime was coming once again, and the dry brown fields were beginning to come to life again. Mickey continued to thrive and do better as each month rolled by. The population of the farm seemingly changed to. Some of the hens and other fowl which had terrified Mickey when he was a bit younger had been suddenly sold off. One goose reportedly disappeared by courtesy of a local fox which lurked nearby. Clara was still there, as she was one of the best egg layers of the bunch. She would peek out of the hen house when she saw Mickey running behind Walt or Lillian, but still didn't make an effort to try to talk to Mickey. Something in her really wanted to, but felt it just wasn't time yet. Walt's dog, punished too many times by his master for trying to attack Mickey just stayed out of his way when the mouse came out. Mickey, when Walt wasn't looking would stick his tongue out at the dog to give him a "raspberry," but the dog just gave a low growl and went back to sleep.

The days were sunny and comfortably warm, but it still there was something not quite right with things around the farm. For one, the wagon that Walt and Roy would take to town had also been sold. Mickey loved that wagon. He remembered longing to ride in it when he was still a baby and lived in the hen house with his mother. Mickey still didn't understand the ways of man as he wished, but he tried to sympathize as best he could when Walt would come home in the evenings and just brood over his drawing desk, or when Lillian would sit staring off into space as she held her sewing in her lap. They both seemed quiet these days, and Mickey didn't know why. Were they going to sell him too? The thought made him shiver a little. Would they? He learned how to talk a little….could they get a lot of money for a talking mouse? Sure they could! NO! He shook his head to rid it of those thoughts. But some more memories came back to argue with his reasoning.

He hadn't been the best behaved mouse either…..he'd been breaking things and making messes even though he was learning how clean up after himself. He knew when Lillian or Walt would be cross with him. One time when he was feeling creative, Mickey spilled black and green ink all over the drawing board and spread his hands in it. It really seemed like a lot of fun at the time. Walt came in just when Mickey was smearing his hands on the drapes. Mickey didn't expect what happened next- Walt, without saying a word, pulled his tail up and hit him on his back end. Mickey was shocked at this! Why did he do THAT? Well, it had hurt and Mickey raced to a corner, curling his tail around himself and cried when that happened . He cried out of shock more than being sorry for what he did. He was a bit confused over that one….but Walt explained it later after the mess was cleaned up, and Mickey simply nodded, making a mental note to try not to spill ink on the drawing board at least.

Despite all of his "adventures into mischief," Mickey convinced himself that Walt and Lillian loved him and wanted him to be happy. Usually he could bounce into a room and sing or dance a silly dance to make them laugh, but these days it seemed they didn't even know he was there. It felt a little scary.

It was a rainy Friday evening and Mickey was put into his straw bed. They all finished listening to a favorite radio show and it was getting late. The lights went out bit by bit all over the house and just the glimmer on the staircase from the upstairs hallway light was left. Mickey settled himself down to sleep when he heard Walt and Lillian talking. Their voices were soft at first, but suddenly grew a little louder.

"Walt….what is going to happen Monday? What are we going to tell them?

"I don't know….I just don't….I've tried holding them off as much as possible."

"Well, if worse should come to worse, I can always ask my parents for help. They won't mind, Walt. Just let me send a telegram and…."

"NO! Don't do that! Something might happen in the week that might turn our luck around."

"Here? How? People aren't very interested in your drawings enough to really give you the kind of break you are looking for here. The farm isn't doing as it should. We've had to sell some of the machinery, the livestock. We are down to only two cows, the mule, a handful of chickens….and we just can lose the horse yet!" cried Lillian.

Walt hated to see her like this. He promised her so much. He really wanted to keep his promises, but it looked like his dreams were falling through like the rain which was beginning to heavily tap on the roof.

Little did they realize, but someone was listening to their conversation. Mickey couldn't sleep when he heard their worried voices, so he silently tiptoed up to hear.

"We are in trouble. Walt is in trouble and things are bad now," thought Mickey to himself. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door open. Walt stood before him and was surprised to see the mouse's face looking up at him.

"Mickey! What are you doing here, little fella?" Walt whispered. Mickey felt a little embarrassed and tried to turn away, but Walt picked him up and sat on the stairs with him. He held Mickey on his lap for a couple of minutes before speaking.

Walt took a deep sigh. "Mickey." he began, "I don't know how much you can understand, but things are not very sunny for us right now. We… might lose this house and the farm," he began.

Mickey nodded. He thought it best not to talk at this time, so he just listened. Walt's face really looked tired and worn.

"I don't want you to look worried like you are now. I know you've seen some of the things you loved like the wagon being taken away, haven't you?"

Mickey nodded again. He shivered a little, and looked away. Walt noticed this and asked him a question.

"Are you feeling a little scared? Why do you seem nervous?" asked Walt.

"Would….would you… sell me, if you need some more money?" asked Mickey. " I-I-I don't want you and Lillian to be unhappy. If you need to….."

He didn't finish his last sentence when he felt Walt hold him closer. "Shhh…. Mickey…..I could NEVER do something like that! What made you think Lillian and I would sell you to some stranger? You are a part of us now. You are like a child to me. I'd never be able to live with myself if I sold you for some money. This house, this farm, is not worth it if you can't be a part of it too. We are so glad you came into our lives and

….we love you Mickey….don't forget that."

Mickey looked at Walt for a minute, then gave the biggest smile Walt had ever seen this mouse give. Even in all his worries for the moment, he couldn't help but laugh at him. Lillian heard Walt's laughter and came into the hallway to see what was so funny.

"Can you believe it Lilli? Mickey was feeling worried. He thought we might want to sell HIM to save our home," replied Walt as he looked Mickey directly into his eyes. "I reassured him that will never happen as long as we are here to protect him."

Lillian sat on the other side of Walt and petted Mickey's head. "It's my promise too, little Mickey." Mickey placed his face next to hers and nuzzled her cheek.

Just then, a loud noise was heard. The window broke at the far end of the upstairs hallway knocking a small table with a vase on it.

"What was THAT?" shrieked Lillian jumping up quickly.

Mickey jumped off Walt's lap and followed him up the hall. There seemed to be the sound of many things breaking and falling all around them.

"God…..It's a twister!" yelled Walt. "Down in the basement! Hurry!"

"Oh, good Heavens!" shrieked Lillian, terrified. She was petrified in one spot.

Walt scooped up Mickey, and grabbing Lillian by the other hand ran down the stairs as quickly as possible. More sounds of glass and boards breaking could be heard. The trio found the door which led to their basement. Walt held the door open so Lillian and Mickey could go in. Everything was dark, and incredibly dangerous.

A pole from the front yard's gate became a dangerous weapon as it catapulted through the living room window. Lillian and Mickey just started to descend the dark stairs when they heard a loud shriek of pain.

"WALT! Walt! What happened?" cried Lillian. Another groan of pain was the reply. Mickey turned and in the dim light saw Walt lying in the doorway of the basement, his face grimaced in pain. The sharp pole ripped his left shoulder, just missing the base of his neck. Walt was on his knees, his face in shock- Lillian and Mickey but helped him to move inside as their beloved farmhouse was being destroyed all around them.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Once Walt was dragged inside, Mickey pulled the door closed. They huddled together as the noise overwhelmed them. Mickey could hear Walt's heavy breathing and groans close to his ears. In the semi-darkness, Lillian found the emergency kerosene storm lamps and matches. With nervous fingers she managed to light them. Finally it was all over.

Lillian was sobbing softly, "Walt? Walt…what happened out there just before we came down here?" Walt groaned again trying to answer her. Mickey quietly tiptoed to the door and cracked it a little. Debris was up against the other side so he had to push it a little. He pushed some more when the door gave way and Mickey fell on his tummy. Getting his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness he looked around. His thoughts were interrupted by Lillian's calls for help.

"Mickey! Help me!' cried Lillian. Mickey jumped around and saw Walt and Lillian standing in the doorway. Walt's face looked ashen and he saw….blood. Mickey shivered a little but came over to Lillian.

Mickey managed to find a chair and Lillian helped Walt sit down. He was holding his shoulder. There was a deep gash , and he was bleeding badly. Lillian was trying her best to console him and began ripping his shirt to examine his wound.

"Mickey, see if you can find some rags and some water!' ordered Lillian. Her home was in ruins, but right now the only person who mattered was Walt. Mickey stumbled over a few more things and went to where the laundry area used to be. Luckily the basket was there and he found some aprons and a pillowcase. He brought these to Lillian and went outside to get some water. The breeze was still strong, and whipped around his ears. He stood there for a few seconds and looked into the dark, gray, ominous sky. It was silhouetted by the tree limbs which reached to heaven as if asking for mercy. Mickey shivered as he tried to shake off another terrible memory when an earlier storm took something away from him. He felt his own arms reaching into the darkness as tears welled up into his eyes.

"NO! Walt needs me! I can't be weak now. I couldn't help my momma, but I will help Walt. Walt will be O.K.!" said Mickey out loud to the wind as he moved forward.

"Mickey, Mickey, Mickey!" came a voice from the darkness.

Mickey whipped around, startled. "Huh? Wh-wh-wh-who's there?" he asked. He heard the small shuffle and saw a familiar figure. It was Clara. Mickey took a step back.

"Mickey….," whispered Clara. "You…have…really grown. You, did, you did," she said softly. Mickey nodded, holding his head down.

The hen came closer and laid a soft wing across the mouse's back. Mickey stiffened a little, not quite knowing what to expect but finally looked up at the hen's face. The wind rustled her feathers a little giving her an even gentler look.

"Clara…., I'm sorry for what happened to my momma…I really am!" cried Mickey. This time he turned to Clara and began to sob softly. The hen wrapped her other wing around him and stroked her cheek next to his.

"It's ok, now. I wanted to tell you so many times that I forgave you - - that it wasn't totally your fault, but I couldn't come to you then. The rooster wouldn't let any of us hens come near you. Many did side with him to try to kill you for what happened. I'm just sorry I didn't do anything to help you," said Clara. We just never had a problem with our babies before, so when you came, we didn't know how to deal with your curiosity. You mother did the best she could, but anyway…please know she loved you more than anything in this entire world. Mickey, I remember the night you were born. You were so tiny, funny and precious, you made you mother laugh. You made us all laugh with the things you could do…but there was this one part of you which wanted more than our farm life here; more than even your mother envisioned for you."

"I wanted to… be with humans," said Mickey sadly. He felt a betrayl of some sort when he said that. It was like he turned his back on everything that was "animal" in order to be "human" and live with them. He still retained all the lessons his mother taught him, he may need them one day, but right now he felt ashamed.

"Mickey! Where are you?" came a cry from within the battered farmhouse. Mickey jumped and said, "Omigosh!' I almost forgot! I need water!

Clara flapped her wings. "Come this way…come this way!" she ordered. Mickey followed her to the pump. Mickey found the bucket and got some water, but before he left, he gave Clara one more hug and ran back to the house.

"I love you, little Mickey," clucked Clara softly before turning to go back to where the hen house was.

Mickey brought the water, splashing more than he should have. Lillian helped him bring it to where Walt sat. He still wasn't looking good, but his face looked a little more relaxed than before. Lillian dipped the rag into the water, wrung it and gently applied it to Walt's injured shoulder.

Walt gave a loud groan and said a few curse words when the cold water first hit his wound. Mickey gently placed his hand on Walt's knee and looked into his face. Mickey remembered when he was in pain how Walt took care of him, so he felt he should definitely stay by his side to him get back to health.

It felt like an eternity to Walt, but Lillian finally cleaned his wound and carefully wrapped his shoulder as best she knew how. For the first time, Walt really looked all around him and took in the damage the storm left. Struggling to stand, Walt left his chair and walked around to view what was left of his home.

"It's….gone….gone…," stammered Walt.

Lillian quickly joined his side. "Walt," she whispered softly.

"Gone," he repeated. He took his free hand and absent-mindedly ran his fingers through his hair almost wanting to pull his hair rather than running his fingers though it.

Mickey, still looking up at Walt, wrapped his arms around his leg and stood by him as he looked out into the dawn which was beginning to break.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

It seemed like an eternity by the time Walt and Lillian decided to take another step from all the debris and move around again. What could any of them do? Encircling around them was destruction. Nothing could be fixed, mended or painted. Mickey could feel small drops of leftover rain fall on his back, but he didn't care about getting any wetter. Walt was hurt; Lillian was also hurting on the inside. Mickey didn't like to see her cry, but what could he do now? No little song or dance could bring the sunshine back to this place.

Lillian escorted her injured husband to the front of their house. He was still holding his shoulder and squinting his eyes in pain as he tried to move along. She found one of their living room chairs and dragged it under one of the shade trees which did not get blown over in the horrendous storm.

"Here… sit down." She motioned for him to move toward a little comfort.

"Thank you," whispered Walt in a painful tone.

"Nothing left," said Lillian. "Nothing. All that we have is gone. What are we going to do now?"

Walt secretly wished she wouldn't even talk. He wanted to simply live this moment in silence and be alone with his own thoughts. But now was not the time to argue with her or try to sort things out. Lillian understood his silence and was not bothered when he wouldn't answer. She went to find some more rags to rip up to make clean bandages for his shoulder.

Everyone was in their own little island of thought when Mickey's sharp ears picked up a sound. It was the sound of Roy's truck. Mickey quickly started to run toward the sound and Lillian tried to call him back.

"Mickey! MICKEY! Where are you going? What is it?"

Mickey turned around to look at her and pointed toward the sound. Then she and Walt saw the old truck coming up the road. It was Roy and his friend, Milton.

Roy couldn't get out of the truck fast enough when he saw the damage to his brother's farm. Mickey ran up to Roy and made funny noises. Actually, Mickey forgot he was speaking his mouse language to Roy so Roy didn't make much of it.

"Hey there, little guy! Now you need to get out of the way, so we can see Walt!" Roy used his foot to push Mickey aside so he and Milton could go ahead. Milton skitted around in a semi-circular motion when he saw Mickey. He didn't quite know what to make of this creature.

"Whoah! Look like that twister really totaled your place!" said Roy in astonishment as he surveyed the place. "Where's Lillian?"

Lillian heard her name and came from out back. She had some wet rags in her hands.

"Roy!" she shouted tearfully. She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She sobbed hopelessly as she walked back to Walt's side.

"Look Walt. Come stay with us for a few days, OK? I suffered some damage, but my house is still intact, thank God. There's not much you can do right now. Just search through some of the rubble and see what you can find which you can't replace. We have plenty of room, then you can plan out what to do next."

Walt had his head down while he was listening. He ran his fingeres through his hair, and nodded solemly. Lillian changed his bandages again, but he was needing a doctor's care.

Walt slowly stood and started walking toward Roy's truck.

"I guess that's a "yes?" whispered Milton to Roy. Roy nodded and followed Walt and Lillian. Mickey was quickly following up the rear when he was stopped suddenly.

"HEY!" shouted Milton. His shout quickly snapped everybody out of their thoughts.

"What about this…..this….RODENT?" He looked back at Mickey who looked back at Milton with his big black eyes. Milton shivered at the sight of Mickey, probably because of his size and his seemingly intelligent demeanor. "You're taking this beast with you? Why don't you leave it here in one of the pens? Me an' Roy have to come back anyway to feed the animals that are left anyway."

Walt slowly turned his head. "Ah….Mickey," he said sympathetically. "Come here, little fella." Walt stooped down slowly and painfully and held out one arm to him.

Mickey ran to Walt and snuggled close to him. Walt wrapped his arm protectively around him. He could feel Mickey's body trembling from fear and saw his tail curled close to his body.

"Mickey…..you're ok buddy? You're afraid? Don't be. I am always going to try to take care of you, all right? You're coming with us. I couldn't dream of leaving you behind," he whispered softly. Mickey closed his eyes and made small trill sounds once again, sounds he made when he was snuggled alongside his mother when he was smaller. Walt could feel Mickey's cold nose along his neck and made it him giggle a little.

"Let's go." He let Mickey go and continued toward the truck.

"You and Mickey will have to ride in the back, Milton," said Roy.

"WHA…?" Milton started to whine again, but Roy stopped him. He took Milton to the side and addressed him in a low voice so Lillian and Walt couldn't hear.

"Look Milt, my brother is having a hard time right now, as if you didn't notice. He's lost just about everything he owns. Mickey is something of a "pet" to him, but I think he also loves him as if he were a human child. I don't think you will have to worry about Mickey doing anything to you if you don't bother him. That's the law with just about any animal. Look, I'll do this for ya.'

Roy went into the devastated yard and looked around. Taking out his knife, he cut a small, thin piece of rope which dangled from a door which once held a baby calf. He came back to where his friend stood.

"Here's some rope. I'm going to tie it around Mickey, and that way he won't be able to do ANYTHING to you, OK?" Roy had an edge to his voice which was showing his anger and impatience with this worry-wart-crybaby of a man. Boy, can he pick friends!

Lillian peeked out of the truck window and asked. "Are we ready to go? I really want to see what the other farms look like. I hope some of our friends are not suffering too badly."

"Yeah, we're ready," replied Milton. He silently jumped into the straw-filled bed to the truck and didn't move. Roy picked Mickey up and placed him toward the back end of the truck bed.

"Sorry fella, but this is the only way you can travel this time." Mickey saw the rope in Roy's hands and sat still as he tied the loop around his neck. Mickey didn't talk, but for some reason he felt the rope was not a good thing. He wasn't going to run away. Why was this needed. He looked at Roy and tilted his head a little, giving him a questioning glance.

Roy didn't say anymore but patted the mouse's black, furry head and walked toward the cab of the truck. The truck's motor started and slowly they began their journey away from the only home Mickey knew. It grew further and further away in the distance. As Mickey watched, he felt it was more than just a farm he was leaving. His memories were there too. He also felt that maybe it was a good thing. Maybe he could work at being a much better creature than what he believed himself to be.

As the truck bounced over some bumpy areas in the road, the truck bed bouned its occupants ever harder. Milton stayed in his corner; Mickey stayed in his. Mickey knew Milton was not a fan of his and was probably one of those people his mother warned him about. The ones who labeled him "vermin" and wanted nothing better than to kill him with some of those "poisons". Mickey didn't try to make any more eye contact with him, and concentrated on how the rope was aggravating his neck. He was hoping they would get to Roy's house soon.

Their tour of what the town looked like was eyeful after eyeful of painful destruction. Trees down, power lines, and furniture strewn about all over the roads. People the Disneys knew sorrowfully waved at them from amongst the rubble. Once in a while Roy would stop and offer support for their neighbors who also suffered loss.

It was late in the afternoon when the truck finally rolled onto Roy's property. Mickey was dozing off and on during the ride and the one final bump woke him up. Roy parked the truck close to the house so they could help Walt inside. Milton quickly jumped out of the truck almost before it came to a stop, so Mickey helplessly looked over the edge of the truck as everyone went inside.

He tried to follow them, but the rope held him back. He tried again, but it did not give him his freedom. Mickey started to grow angry at this and his tail lashed back and forth like a slender black whip. He stopped struggling and layed his body down on the straw.

"They'll be back for me. They'll notice I'm not there and come back," he thought to himself.

He fell into a deep slumber as the storm clouds finally rolled away**. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

It was pretty late when Mickey felt his body being shaken. He yawned, stretched and turned over. He felt a warm had stroking his fur and felt the rope being loosened from around his neck. He hadn't totally opened his eyes but he could tell it was Walt who was there.

"Hullo!" cried Mickey, so glad to see that Walt was looking much better than he had the day before.

"Hello Mickey!" replied Walt. "Sorry that we left you out here, pal. Everyone is not used to you like we are. Roy's wife Edna had never met you, and we wanted to bring you in, but she was a bit skittish about it, so we left you out here, unfortunately."

Mickey threw his arms around Walt. "That's all right," he said. Just then he felt a small twinge of pain. Mickey stretched his neck a bit a felt a burn where the rope was. Walt lightly ran his fingers across his neck and grumbled a bit. "Roy shouldn't have put a rope around your neck. You wouldn't hurt a fly! Well, I'll have nurse Lillian put a little salve on it, ok buddy?"

"OK!" replied Mickey grinning. Walt gently lifted Mickey like a small child and carried him into the house. Mickey tightened his grip around Walt as they came inside bracing himself for what might happen next.

"Here he is everybody!" Walt announced as he stepped into the hallway. "Here's my pal Mickey!"

Edna was clearing the breakfast dishes when she turned and saw what Walt was carrying in his arms. She let out a shriek and the dishes went crashing to the floor. The noise also startled Mickey and he jumped from Walt's arms and ran behind a chair in the very daintily decorated parlor.

"What was that creature? Walt, I'll not have you turn my house into a zoo!" It will have to stay outside! Take it out of here! Walt was not totally surprised by her reaction; but he tried to keep his composure to keep the situation as peaceful as possible. Lillian heard the ruckus and came into the room to see what was going on.

"Haha! I see you've met our little boy, Edna!" laughed Lillian. She saw Mickey's tail which still poked out from behind the chair. "Come here Mickey!" she said as she tried to go after him. Walt cleared his throat as he attempted to smooth over the situation.

"Um, Edna….you see, Mickey's is a very tame little mouse. I found him near death in my field quite a while ago. I might have accidentally killed his mother with my tractor, and he was lying beside her dead body. I took him in, and Lillian and I nursed him back to health. Since then he has….um….learned many things". Just then, Lillian brought Mickey back into the room.

"Hullo."

Edna's mouth hung open when she thought she heard the mouse speak. She clumsily backed towards the wall stepping over broken china and slippery leftovers, not really caring about anything except finding a way to get out of that room. Roy, like Lillian was drawn into the room by all the screaming and ruckus.

"ROY!" shrieked Edna. "That mouse….it spoke to me!" Roy was trying not to show his laughter and put on as serious a face as possible. "Oh, yes, Mickey…yes, he can say a few syllables of the King's English. He's not fluent, mind you, but for a mouse, he's pretty good!"

Edna's eyes grew wider. "You know about this?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, I didn't think Walt would want that type of information getting around. Mickey just doesn't seem like your regular 'ol mouse as you can see by his size and intelligence. He's been around us so much that he started picking up our language. Animals do have a communication system of their own you know, so why couldn't they learn a different way of communication with us humans?"

Edna started to become a little more relaxed, but kept her eyes on Mickey who was also staring back at her and trying his best to smile and show that he was no threat. Lillian placed Mickey on the floor and volunteered to help clean up the broken dishes.

Once the dining room was back to normal, they all moved to the parlor to sit down to further explain this somewhat crazy situation. "Um, Walt, where did you keep this "Mickey" when he was at your house?" she asked.

"When I first found him, I had put him in one of my small trapper cages," Walt explained. "I didn't really want to keep him at first, so after he was doing better, I left it up to him to choose freedom back outdoors or not. He left, but I later found that he had been attacked by my dog and some of the other farm animals-for whatever reason I'll never know why. This time it really was more serious than before. But he pulled through from the care Lillian and I gave him. We watched him like a hawk. After he mended this time, he just decided on his own, I guess, to stay with us. That's when I wanted to give him a name. I wanted to call him "Rascal" which we thought was a great name, but he would never answer to it. Then one day he started making strange sounds like he was saying his real name-Mickey. That's when we learned he was trying to talk to us. He can now say short sentences, and sing short little songs right now,"

"Before the storm," added Lillian, "Mickey had his own small bed which we made out of an old crate. He slept in the house as well in a small nook under the staircase."

Edna still looked a bit confused at all the information she was getting. "Walt, I always thought you were a little quirky, but I'm holding you responsible for this pet of yours. You are going to have to make arrangement for where you are going to have him sleep.

Edna looked at Roy and he gave her a small smile and a wink of reassurance.

"Thanks Edna," said Roy. "Mickey won't be a problem, Walt will see to it!"

"Thank you so much!" said Walt. "Let me know where you'd like for us to keep Mickey and he'll be good, you'll see."

"Then its settled," said Roy standing up. "And Walt, don't feel like you will be imposing on us. Things will get better, you'll see."

Three weeks had now passed since the storm. Even though Roy said that he, Lillian and Mickey wouldn't be a problem, Walt still wanted to get back on his own two feet as soon as possible. Mickey was kept on the screened-in back porch, but spent his days close at the heels of either Walt or Lillian. Mickey knew Edna was a bit nervous around him, so he tried his best to steer clear of her whenever he could which at times wasn't easy since the house was quite small.

Walt decided to go back to the farm to see what he could salvage. Lillian also wanted to go too to see what small items she could find to piece together their lives again. Mickey was all set to go too, but Walt stopped him at the door.

"Sorry fella, but you can't come with us this time. We have a lot of work to do, and I don't think there's much you can do right now. Besides, I don't want you to get hurt," explained Walt.

"I can try to help. I don't want to stay here alone," I want to go with you!" pleaded Mickey.

"Mickey, you are helping by being obedient. I'll try to get back as soon as I can, OK pal?" said Walt.

Mickey didn't answer, but turned and went back to his place on the back porch. He crawled into his box and listened to the door close and Walt's footsteps grow farther away from him.

He heard a few more voices and then the motor of Roy's truck start up. Mickey gave a huge sigh and burrowed his muzzle in the straw which lined his bed. Thoughts started spinning around in his head and he tried hard to chase them away. A songbird lighted on a branch outside and started singing. The bird was so close Mickey could have reached out and grabbed it if he wanted to. The song seemed so melodious had cheerful. Mickey lifted his head and tried to enjoy nature's serenade. Bittersweet memories began drifting back to him as well…

"_Mickey, I want you to remember all that I've taught you about the songs that different birds sing. Listen very carefully now. What is the song you hear?" _

"_Hmmm….is it a mockingbird?"_

"_Yes, that's the mockingbird. It's flown away now. Oh my! I hear another bird. Let's run to see what kind it is."_

"_OK mother!"_

"_Now, listen to that song. Is it close to us? What kind of bird is singing this tune?_

"_A whippoorwill?" I also think the bird is very close to us in the branches almost right over our heads."_

"_You are getting so good at this, Mickey!" _

"_Mother, listen! The songbirds are suddenly loud. Why is that?"_

"_I'm not sure. Oh, now I see. Look up. Do you see those crows?_

"_Yes…"_

"_I think that the songbird's nest is in trouble. See how the mother and father birds are trying to attack those crows in the air?"_

"_They are working very hard, aren't they Mother?"_

"_I'm going to take you a little closer to see, ok Mickey?_

"_Let's go!"_

"_Oh, Mother, look what has happened. That baby bird has fallen out of the nest. He is in trouble!" _

"_Yes. Unfortunately it was too early for him to leave the nest. He's not ready to fly just yet. So now he is in trouble. He is at the mercy of snakes, cats or other birds like owls. We can only hope for his safety."_

"_Mother, can we do something for him?"_

"_No, I'm afraid we cannot."_

"_Why?"_

"_We are not to meddle in other affairs of nature. That is the law."_

"…_.."_

"_Mother… I sure hope I don't fall out of the nest too soon."_

"_You silly little mouse! Now come on, let's go back to our home. Stay close to me, because the grass is high, and I sure don't want to lose you…"_

"_Ok Mama….._

Mickey shook his head and sat up with a jolt. That day seemed so long ago, but it was still so fresh in his mind. The farm, as far as he could see was gone. Why won't these memories do the same?

Rain. It was always the rain. It rained the evening he lost his mother. It rained and stormed when he lost the new home he shared with Walt and Lillian.

Every time he tried to be happy….and forget….the rain will always come and take it all away from him once again.

The rain will always remind him of his disobedience and the thunder and lightning will continue to seek him out. The winds will always whisper what happened that night.

"No…please just leave me alone!" he growled deeply within himself. His eyes were shut tight. The bird had since flown away and another took it's place, singing one happy tune after another. The chirping grew louder and louder in Mickey's ears and seem to almost overwhelm him.

Before he knew it, he sank his teeth into his arm. He sank his teeth deeper. The songbird's chirping was surrounding his body and didn't even sound much like a bird anymore. Mickey took another bite into his other arm and tore a small bit of his own flesh. The taste of blood was in his mouth, and for some reason….it felt good ….and right to him.

"Mother, I still miss you so much. It's all my fault you're gone. Nothing I can do will ever bring you back, nothing."

He took another slash at his own flesh, but the sound of a car's horn snapped him from out of his self mutilation.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

With the horn bringing him from out of his violent daze, he realized what he had done to himself. He really didn't seem shocked when he looked at the blood which oozed and mingled with the straw beneath him. Slashes from his teeth were deep and covered his legs also. As he stared at his injuries, he really felt lost and alone at that moment and even Walt wouldn't be able to bring him out of how he was feeling at that moment. Mickey felt that somehow he _deserved_ this punishment. Walt could have thrown him away, or sold him, but he didn't. Now Walt was at his lowest ever, and there was nothing he could do; a mouse? Mickey grinned to himself, but again, no feeling. Nothing.

"It was a good idea for you to allow Lillian to go with Mrs. Hanberry to do a little shopping," said Roy as he placed some of Walt's salvaged items on the kitchen table.

"I agree. She really needs some time away from this situation for awhile. She's trying to be strong, but I know how much she is hurting inside," replied Walt. "Who wants to live hand to mouth each day, not knowing what tomorrow will bring?"

"Please, Walt, don't worry. You know you can stay here as long as you need to. Don't worry so much about your home now. Even my wife has accepted Mickey, and that almost worried you more than anything else," laughed Roy, giving Walt a pat on the back.

"Hey! That reminds me, let's bring Mickey in, since the ladies are out. Edna went to visit her friend's new baby, so she can't fuss about him being around," said as he proceeded out to the back porch where Mickey was.

"Hey, Mickey!" shouted Walt, "come out!" "Time to play!"

Silence. Walt heard a little rustle in the box. "Mickey?"

Mickey peeked his head and looked at Walt.

"Hullo."

Walt felt a strange feeling about Mickey. He could tell the mouse wasn't angry. That was one thing he learned about Mickey. The mouse was not violent or angry by nature. He just seemed strange just now. Was he sick?

Walt knelt down and almost whispered to Mickey. He placed his hand between to scratch between the mouse's ears and Mickey closed his eyes. Then Walt saw the blood.

"…Mickey…what…."

Walt had to pull Mickey out of the box. Mickey's body felt limp and heavy. He didn't seem to want to move on his own. Walt looked into the box and saw blood all over the straw. He was very confused to say the least.

"Mickey, what has happened? How did you get bloody like this?" Walt demanded. Mickey didn't answer, but tried to burrow his head in Walt's chest, but he wouldn't allow it. He put his hand under Mickey's chin to make the mouse face him.

"Mickey, why are you bloody? When I left you, you were OK, now this?" Walt was getting angry, but trying to hold his emotions so as not to disturb Mickey. Mickey averted his eyes and answered.

"I don't know." "Don't know."

"How can you _not_ know Mickey?" said Walt. "There are deep bites and cuts all over your arms and legs!" Walt thought for a second. Maybe fleas. He never thought about that. He brushed his fur to inspect it. Even though he really couldn't find any of the annoying pests, he was willing to assume that as the problem.

Walt picked up Mickey. "Come on pal, let's go in. We've got the house to ourselves right now, the ladies are away, so the mouse can play!" joked Walt. Mickey didn't seem to respond and still felt limp, heavy and lifeless.

"There's the mouse of the house!" shouted Roy as he saw Mickey. Mickey's looked into Roy's eyes and tried to force a grin.

Walt placed Mickey in front of a box which was full of assorted items which would keep Mickey's curiosity for a while.

"Roy, Mickey's injured himself while we were away. See his arms and legs? He did that with his teeth. I searched his fur for fleas, but I guess I'll try to treat him for bugs anyway.

"Yeah, you better take care of that right away. Edna doesn't need much of an excuse to keep your pal on that back porch indefinitely," laughed Roy. "I'll go to the shed to see if I still have some flea dip."

Walt went to the sink to wet a clean rag. He then went to Mickey to examine his cuts and dabbed them gently with the rag. Mickey flinched a bit, but tried to stay still as Walt worked. Mickey tried to pretend to be occupied with a rusty gear wheel he found in the box, but was finding it difficult to think.

"Bring him outside, Walt!" yelled Roy. "Let's dip him in and get him all taken care of!"

Walt reassured Mickey that he was going to be careful with his cuts as he slowly dipped him in the medicated water. Mickey flinched more this time, and began to whine about his pain.

"HURTING!" yelled Mickey. "I want to get out!"

"Comon' Mick," said Roy adamantly, "this is for your own good!"

Walt and Roy cleaned Mickey as best they could in spite of the mouse's fighting, but was able to get him cleaned. They didn't see anything which looked like fleas in the water, and was relieved. Roy brought a towel and Walt wrapped Mickey up and took him to the back porch. Mickey was definitely a sight to behold! But eventually his fur dried and he started to look like his old self.

Walt stood up and looked at Mickey thoughtfully. Mickey looked back at Walt and tilted his head in wonderment. Suddenly Mickey saw Walt's face light up.

"Hey! I know how we can make you more acceptable around here! CLOTHES!" shouted Walt.

"Clothes?" said Roy turning around quickly. "What are you talking about?

"For Mickey. Do you think he might wear them?" asked Walt.

"Well, why not? He's a pretty smart creature. Can't hurt," replied Roy.

Walt hurriedly went to the guest bedroom where he and Lillian slept. Sitting beside the dresser was a large doll. The doll looked like a cross between a clown and a little boy. The doll had on a red pair of shorts with two bright yellow buttons on them. The buttons didn't exactly serve a function other than cute decoration. Walt smiled. He took the shorts off the doll and headed back to the porch. Mickey was still wrapped up in the towel and was shivering a bit. Walt held up his prize.

Roy and Mickey looked up at the same time. Roy howled with laughter, and Mickey just looked confused. Walt didn't care, he walked up to Mickey, removing the towel and showed him the shorts.

"These are for you," said Walt.

"For….me?" asked Mickey.

"Yes, I think you might like to wear these little shorts. Do you remember seeing the little boys who walk by here on their way to school?" asked Walt.

"OH YES!" exclaimed Mickey. "I like to see them!

"Well…some of them wear little shorts like these." He knew he had Mickey sold.

He knew he had Mickey sold.

"I want to wear them too!" Mickey said. Mickey grabbed the shorts, but tried to put them over his head. His ears stuck out where the leg holes were. Walt and Roy laughed at his efforts to get the shorts on.

"Hey! That's not how you do it, pal," said Walt, still talking through the laughter. He took the shorts back and placed a small hole in the back for his tail.

He placed Mickey on his lap and helped Mickey put the shorts on. Mickey slid on his lap to the floor and tried to look at himself. He was so happy!

In the meantime, Lillian and Edna arrived home laden down with packages. Walt heard Lillian's giggles- something he hadn't heard in quite some time.

"Comon' Mickey," said Walt. "Let the ladies get a look at you!"

Mickey was so proud of how he looked. He was nearly human! He was wearing clothes! He smoothed down his fur one more time before following Walt into the living room.

"Hello ladies," said Walt. "I hope you both had a wonderful time while you were out."

But Lillian and Edna were not really paying attention to what Walt was saying.

"Walt, aren't those shorts from that doll…"

"Yes, doesn't he look nice in them?"

*SIGH* "Yes, Walt, he looks adorable."

"HOT DOG!"

When Mickey ended the conversation with that exclamation, even Edna had to laugh and finally find a space in her heart too for this strange but happy little mouse.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Weeks turned into months, and Walt didn't seem any closer to finding success in his endeavors. He continued to draw, which in a sense kept his sanity, but in order for things to change, something had to _happen. _Walt found himself staring blankly at the drawing paper in front of him and didn't notice Lillian walking into the room.

"Walt?"

No answer.

Lillian didn't try to get his attention a second time. Even though she knew he loved her, it seems that lately his temper has been short and she noticed the smallest things aggravated him. She turned and started to walk out the room.

"Lillian?"

"Yes Walt?"

"What is it?"

"Well…..you've been in this house all day. Why don't we go to see a movie? Maybe it will help take your mind off things. Please?" pleaded Lillian.

Maybe she was right. It seems that since the tornado took everything away, he stopped living in a sense. Mickey brought a ray of sunshine into their lives, but not enough to keep him from the reality of the situation. Mickey seemed to be happy and loyal, but Walt also felt that sometimes something wasn't quite right with him. But after all, he is an animal, and they do things which cannot be explained anyway.

Walt shrugged his shoulders and turned to Lillian with a smile. "You're right. I have been sort of stuffy. Let's go out. I think I'd like to see that new Tom Mix movie they've been talking about so much! Maybe a rousing cowboy movie will take me out of this slump for a while!"

"Wonderful! I'll get my hat and purse!" said Lillian excitedly.

Walt loved to see her smile.

Lillian came back into the room slipping on her gloves. "We'll be right in time for the short features too!" she said.

As she and Walt headed out the door, Walt stopped. "Where's Mickey?"

"He's asleep on the back porch. I just checked on him," replied Lillian. "We'll bring him back some popcorn. Mice love popcorn!" she giggled.

At the movie theater, not many people were there that night. A tired looking usher led Walt and Lillian down the aisle to seats in the middle of the theater. On the screen, was flashing some simple black and white advertisements for the latest hat styles for men and women, or a new movie which will be coming out soon.

"Just in time!" whispered Lillian. Walt nodded.

Since this was the era of silent pictures, movies were accompanied by an organist. When the advertisements ended, the organist started up with a new tune. On the screen, flashed a Pat Sullivan's "Felix the Cat" cartoon. Felix is a cat who has many adventures, and he could use his tail for many things. One thing about the cat was that he would pace back and forth when he wanted to solve a problem and came up with pretty good ideas which made him mostly a winner in the end. Felix was a very simple cat to look at too. He was black all over with great big eyes. His looks weren't exactly what one might call _cute_, but he was definitely spunky, and wasn't afraid to try new things. He could communicate with people as well as animals like himself. Sometimes Felix acted more like a feline when he tried to catch a fish for dinner, and other times like a human when he would try to find a job, for example on a movie set in Hollywood. He had …_personality…_

…just like Mickey….

Felix is a _cat_…..

Mickey is a _mouse_…

Wonder how _did _Sullivan find him? Behind a fish store? As a kitten? Did Felix just follow him home like other cats?

As Felix's adventures continued flickering on the screen, Walt was becoming more and more mesmerized by that cat.

Wonder how much money does Sullivan make from Felix?

Does Felix _really belong _to him? Did Sullivan name Felix, or did Felix _already_ have his name, like Mickey?

Is Felix truly a happy cat like on the screen?

After the second Felix cartoon had ended, the Tom Mix feature came on. The movie was entitled "The Last Trail." The story had its regular formula of the hero cowboy who saves the girl and the town from villains and whatnot. It had its high and low points but overall it was not a bad movie. Lillian enjoyed it as well.

On the way home, Walt seemed in a better mood, and Lillian was pleased about that.

"Maybe we need to go to the movies at least twice a week!" Lillian chuckled.

"Maybe so. Movies help take the blues away. At least you can escape into another place and become one with the stars on the screen," Walt said dreamily.

As they approached the house, they could hear the radio playing a familiar tune from Paul Whiteman. They entered quietly, but saw that Roy and Edna were still up.

"Well, where have you two kids been?" asked Edna, who was working on her needlepoint.

"To the movies, I thought Walt needed to get out for a while," said Lillian taking off her hat and gloves.

"It was worth it. A Tom Mix movie was the main feature. But you know what _really_ caught my attention tonight? _Felix the Cat_!" said Walt.

"Felix the _CAT_?" answered Roy and Edna in unison.

"Yes, that little cat is interesting. He kind of reminds me of Mickey, except in cat form. He belongs to a guy named Pat Sullivan. I bet he's rolling in dough," said Walt thoughtfully.

"I really don't see how. But I must admit, Felix's been around for a long time though. Maybe because kids like him. I figure that's why the guy keeps that cat around," said Roy uninterested.

"Hmmm…I guess I never really paid much attention before," said Walt. "Having Mickey made me more aware of animals like that. I wish I could see Felix-what is he really like…"

"You might be disappointed," warned Lillian. "You just might meet a little bug-eyed black cat with fish-breath, and that's all."

Everyone laughed except Walt, who gave a weak smile.

"Well, back to the drawing board!" announced Walt. "Literally."

He still couldn't get Felix out of his mind. The storylines were really simple. But those simple stories kept his attention. Amazing.

Just then he remembered Mickey. He tiptoed to the back porch and saw that Mickey was still asleep. Darn! They forgot the popcorn. No bother. Mickey didn't know they left for the movies anyway.

Walt bent down and carefully picked Mickey up from his straw bed. Mickey's sleepy form snuggled against Walt as he felt himself being carried inside.

Mickey stirred as Walt slid upon the chair in front of the large drawing board. Walt let Mickey continue to snooze in the crook of his left arm as he started to draw with his right. It was definitely awkward, but he didn't want to wake Mickey up just yet. The lighting in the room wasn't bright, but it gave the room a comforting glow to it. He could still hear the radio playing in the next room and the music helped him as he drew upon the paper.

He started drawing the rabbit again. Round circular head, long ears of course and round body. The rabbit also wore shorts, but unlike Mickey's the rabbit's shorts were held up by one strap which was slung over one shoulder. It gave the rabbit a "bad little boy" look. Walt was pleased. He completed the rabbit by coloring him in black all over.

He was still thinking about Felix the cat as he worked on his sketched. The main point about Felix's which interested him was how the cat's tail could express many emotions, and turn into objects such as a hook or a paddle if he needed it. Walt would also give this rabbit the same ability. That's interesting. Before he knew it, the drawing board was full of this character jumping, laughing, crying or being angry.

"Rabbit."

"Huh?"

"Rabbit," said Mickey as he stretched his arms and yawning.

"Yeah, pal, a rabbit. Have you seen any in real life?"

"Yep. When I lived with my mamma on your farm."

"Oh really? What were they like?"

"Quiet, but they sure can eat a lot!" Mickey chuckled.

Walt laughed too. "Mickey, this rabbit on my drawing paper here is named Oswald."

"OS-WALD?" asked Mickey as he squinched up his nose.

"Yes, Oswald. What kind of rabbit do you think he is?" asked Walt.

Mickey thought for a while. "Hmmmm….he might be kinda fun. Maybe not," he replied.

Well, I've been drawing Oswald for quite some time now. You didn't know it, but when you first came here, you destroyed my first drawings of him. Of course, you didn't understand then, but I have plans for this little long-eared fellow.

"Really?" asked Mickey, confused.

"Yep. He just might be our ticket out of here," said Walt.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Are you sure you have EVERYTHING?" called Lillian as she was searching for her best gloves.

"Yes, our room looked quite empty!" Walt called back over his shoulder as he was pushing a large traveling steamer trunk through the front door. Mickey was trying to pull another piece of large luggage with not much success. Roy was standing by the truck with his arms folded, squinting at Walt through the morning sunshine.

"Well, I can't believe you're really leavin' us Walt," said Roy sadly.

"What can I do here? House is gone. Farm is gone- I've got to start back from scratch," replied Walt still struggling to get the trunk in the back of Roy's truck. After taking a small breath, he looked over his shoulder.

"I've got to do something else, and here is not the place, Roy. I've been working with Ub Iwerks for years trying to do cartooning, but there's more I want to do. There's not many outlets here for our art, so I'm going to see what's out there in California," explained Walt.

Walt had met Iwerks back in 1919 while working for the Pesmen-Rubin Art Studio in Kansas City, Later, the two would eventually start their own commercial art business together. They finally found work as illustrators for the Kansas City Slide Newspaper Company. While working for the Kansas City Film Ad Company, Walt decided to take up work in animation, and Ub soon joined him. Theirs was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. They spent many happy hours together at their Laugh - O- Grams Studio coming up with ads, or funny telegrams for different businesses. But again, failure came knocking on his door when the business went bankrupt.

Walt quickly unfolded a piece of paper he had in his pocket. It was the picture of the rabbit.

"See this little fellow? Well, I've been in contact with Universal about him. They might be interested in putting him on the big screen!" I didn't tell anyone about this, not even Lillian. I didn't want to get her hopes up too high…she's had too many disappointments lately…if you know what I mean…," said Walt sadly. "This MUST work. It must, Roy."

"Are we ready to go?" asked Lillian, slipping on her gloves.

"Yes, we are m'lady!" replied Walt gallantly.

"Her coach awaits!" added Roy, adding to the royal humor of the moment.

Mickey jumped in the back of the truck where the luggage was. He was wearing a new pair of shorts which Lillian made for him, and he didn't want to get too dirty or get a rip in them.

After everyone was squeezed tightly into the cab of the truck, Edna came running out with a small box.

"Here are some sandwiches I made for you so you can save a bit of money on your trip out there!" said Edna.

"Oh, you are so sweet!" replied Lillian, giving her sister-in-law a kiss on her cheek. "I will miss you terribly!"

"Don't start to crying now, and ruin your makeup! You're going out there where all those movie stars are! You want to look your best, dear," said Edna softly.

"Best wishes…"

From the bed of the truck came a shrill sound. Everybody tried to look back and smiled at Mickey. Edna walked up to him and rubbed him between his ears.

"I'm going to miss you too, Mickey," she quietly. Mickey looked at her, but didn't quite understand why she looked or talked that way. Some human emotions were hard to decipher.

The trip to the train station was pretty quiet. Walt, Lillian and Roy were each in their deep thoughts. Mickey was the only one showing excitement as he looked at the trains, people and listened to all the sounds of busy passengers loading or unloading from the trains.

"Well, here we are!" said Roy. "Time to unload."

Walt gave a huge sigh as if to say,"It's now or never." He held out his hand for Lillian to daintly step out of the truck. While she checked her purse for the tickets, Walt and Roy set their trunks to the side to be placed with the rest of the luggage. The ticket conductor was walking along the line of people waiting to get on. Last but not least, Roy finally handed Mickey to Walt to hold on to.

Mickey was jittery, but it was a mixture of fright and excitement. If only his friends could see him now! At a train station….with humans….getting ready to go on a trip far away. He didn't even know where, but as long as he was with Walt and Lillian, he didn't ask questions. He wouldn't know what to ask anyway!

The train conductor was still walking up and down the line of people and helping them to get settled on the train. When he finally reached Walt and Lillian he asked about their luggage.

"Two steamer trunks, and two small luggage, over there," said Lillian pointing behind them. The conductor nodded, and asked the Negro porter to start loading the bags in the luggage car. The conductor suddenly looked down and saw two round, beady eyes staring up at him. He jumped back in shock at what he was looking at.

"SIR! This…animal…is he…?" stuttered the conductor

"He's with us," replied Walt, wiping his brow with his handkerchief which he quickly took from his pocket.

"Is he in your act or something?" questioned the conductor. He was used to seeing all kinds of animals from ponies to pigeons dressed as ballerinas, cowboys, or babies which were part of the many traveling vaudeville shows which criss-crossed the country.

"Uh, no…he isn't. He's our…pet," stuttered Walt uneasily. He was hoping Mickey didn't hear him say the word "_pet_." It seemed demeaning, somehow. Mickey didn't seem like a "_pet_." He seemed so…human, somehow. It did dawn on him, however, that Mickey probably wouldn't even understand what that word meant anyway. His doubts left him when he saw the mouse look up at him and give his familiar little trilling sound again and smile.

"Well, all pets are go into the baggage car until we get to our destination," said the conductor with all seriousness. The porter will take your pet and make sure he's secure.

Another porter came up to Walt and Lillian to take Mickey away to the back of the train.

Walt kneeled down to Mickey's level and looked into his eyes. Mickey cocked his head to one side. He knew Walt wanted to tell him something important, and this was always the way he did it. So he stood still and listened.

"Ok, pal, we are all set for a new adventure, see? You are going to go with this man to your own special car, just for animals. Lillian and I will be up at the front. When we get to where we are going, I'm coming for you, understand?" he explained.

"Other animals like me?" asked Mickey.

"Yes," replied Walt softly.

"I want to be with you," said Mickey. "I want to be with Lillian."

"Well, we want that too, but we have to do what the other people tell us, Ok, buddy? So go with the porter, and he'll make sure you are comfortable," said Walt.

He took Mickey's black velvety hand and placed it in the hand of the porter.

"See you soon, buddy!" exclaimed Walt. Lillian waved gently with her hanky.

"ALL ABOARD!" yelled the conductor.

"That's us!" said Lillian.

They both looked at Roy one more time and hugged before boarding. Once they found their seats, they both looked out the window to see Roy still standing on the platform sadly waving good-bye. Walt and Lillian continued to stare and wave until they couldn't see him anymore.

After the train was on its permanent route, the conductor came down the aisle asking for tickets. Lillian gave the conductor the tickets which he punched and continued on. She carefully put the tickets back into her purse, and looked over at Walt.

Walt was staring blankly out the window. She didn't dare to try to converse with him when he was like that. She knew that the wheels of his brain was spinning and working overtime as to what to do next. The only thing she could do was to trust him.

He has never let her down so far…


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

It would take a number of days to get to California, and after a long while one landscape looked very much like the others. At around 6:00 in the evening, dinner was served. Walt still looked very sleepy but escorted Lillian to the dining car. They had a very nice meal consisting of baked chicken, rice, string beans and rolls. The portions were generous, and neither Walt nor Lillian realized how hungry they really were.

Lillian was just getting ready to order a slice of chocolate cake when Walt suddenly remembered that Mickey hadn't eaten since they left. Poor guy. He wondered how his little fellow was doing in the back with the luggage and other assorted animals.

Mickey was sitting quietly next to Walt and Lillian's steamer trunks. He wanted to be near something which belonged to his two favorite humans. In the distance he could hear the train whistle and the rickety sound of the tracks as they chugged along. He was half hidden so all that could be seen from anyone looking for him was his ears mostly. Mickey was also feeling really sleepy, and was finding it very hard to stay awake.

"**SQUAWK!" **

The sound nearly made Mickey jump out of his skin. He hunkered down further in his luggage fortress but managed to peek out. He saw something perched on a long stick with a bar going across the top of it. It was a green parrot, but Mickey had never seen one before. The only birds he knew about were chickens and the songbirds back home.

This bird definitely wasn't a songbird. It could talk like humans, but sounded horrible and loud.

"I SEE YOU!" squawked the parrot. "I SEE YOU, I SEE YOU!"

Mickey decided he couldn't hide anymore since the parrot already found him. He slowly stepped over the bags and bundles and over to the parrot. The parrot looked down at him, and gave Mickey a wink.

"HAW, HAW, HAW, HAWWW!" laughed the parrot. "SILLY BOY, SILLY BOY!"

Mickey gave the parrot the "razzberry," and was really starting to dislike this type of bird. He saw another animal in this place too, a very pretty looking dog. This dog was inside an animal crate but was quiet and didn't bark when Mickey came out. Mickey looked at the dog, but knew he was too close when the dog finally spoke to Mickey.

"What are you looking at, and why aren't you in your cage?" asked the fluffy dog.

"I don't have a…cage. I sit back there," replied Mickey, not noticing her rough demeanor.

"Hmph!" replied the dog. "Where are you going?"

Mickey said, "I don't know, my people are taking us far away."

"I can see you haven't traveled before, or you would know," said the dog.

Mickey tried to peek into the cage, even though it was kind of dark, but what he could see was her dark brown fur, sparkling eyes, and a flash of pink ribbon on top of her head.

"What is your name?" asked Mickey.

"My name is Fru-Fru," replied the dog proudly.

"…and my name is Mickey."

The train's whistle blew again.

"Where are your people?" asked Mickey

"She is on this train of course, like yours, silly!" laughed Fru-Fru.

"SILLY BOY, SILLY BOY!" shrieked the parrot once more.

Mickey saw an open crate of potatoes behind him. He picked up a potato and threw it at the parrot, but missed. It made the parrot flutter and squawk some more before becoming quiet again.

"My mistress is a FAMOUS person, a movie star, and I travel with her EVERYWHERE!" said Fru-Fru proudly.

"Movie star? Fa..mous? What is…"famous? What is a movie star?" quizzed Mickey

"Hmmm…famous is like…EVERYONE knows who you are. EVERYONE treats you very nice and special. You get the BEST of EVERYTHING!" said Fru-Fru dreamily. "A MOVIE STAR is a person who makes moving pictures that humans go to see on a screen."

By now, Mickey was definitely confused by this dog's babbling, but he would probably find out later on what this "movie" thing was about.

"Can I be…famous?" asked Mickey.

"YOU?" I don't know. I've never heard of a FAMOUS mouse before. But me, I am FAMOUS because my mistress is FAMOUS!" explained Fru-Fru again. "People are always taking pictures of us with cameras, or wanting to be near us. I've gotten used to it though."

"So…are you going to the same place that I'm going to?" asked Mickey.

"Probably. If you're going to California, then yes," said Fru-Fru.

"Cali-for-nya?" repeated Mickey.

"Yes, now let me sleep. I have a busy day tomorrow," said Fru-Fru as she curled up to go to sleep on her pink, fluffy pillow.

"FAMOUS, FAMOUS, FAMOUS!" screeched the parrot one last time.

Mickey quietly went back to his corner between Walt and Lillian's steamer trunks and curled up to get a quick nap too.

His nap didn't last too long though. He heard some footsteps and thought it might be one of the porters looking for luggage. He crouched down as close to the floor as possible and hardly breathed.

"Mickey!"

Mickey heard the familiar voice and jumped out from his hiding place. It was Walt. Mickey threw his arms around him as if he hadn't seen him for a hundred years.

"Whoah there buddy! Just came to check on ya!" said Walt.

"Mickey missed Walt," said Mickey.

"Are you hungry?" asked Walt, but Mickey could already smell the sandwiches hidden in Walt's pocket and Walt laughed as Mickey's snout was halfway in his jacket pocket trying to get at the food.

He pushed Mickey away just enough to get the sandwiches out of his pocket, and removed the wax paper covering them. Mickey didn't talk any more, but hungrily devoured the sandwiches and licked the wax paper to get any leftover crumbs off of them.

"Hahaha! Maybe I should have ordered an extra plate of dinner for you, complete with dessert!" laughed Walt.

When Mickey finished, Walt sat on his steamer trunk. He saw the annoying parrot too. A tag which hung from the bird's leg read, "Hollywood, California." The parrot was sleepy, and didn't do his annoying routine again. Walt remembered he had also brought a small bottle of milk from the dining car. He took this out of his other pocket. It was a little difficult for Mickey to drink out of the bottle, so it was a bit messy.

"I should have brought a straw or a cup for you, pal!" laughed Walt, but Mickey finished all of the milk quickly too.

After Mickey was fed, Walt didn't leave right away. He sat there and held Mickey, who was growing sleepy once more and snuggled on Walt's lap. He looked down at the dozing mouse and then stared blankly as the train's "clickety-clack" carried him and his future further along.

"What's a…movie?"

Walt was stirred out of his trance by Mickey's question.

"Huh? Movie? Hmmm…well, do you remember when we were back at the farmhouse and my brother Roy would come over with a little brown box?" Walt asked.

Mickey nodded.

"…and do you remember we stood in front of Roy and smiled or acted silly and he clicked a button?"

Mickey nodded again.

"Well, what he did was to use a thing called a "camera" to take our picture. The picture of us was developed and Lillian put the picture in a frame."

"Oh, I remember that… pic..ture!" Mickey exclaimed.

"Right. Well, Roy's camera only can take pictures of people standing still. But there's something called a MOVING picture camera which can take pictures of you when you move! A moving picture is flashed on a screen where a lot of people can see you at one time."

Mickey was getting more and more fascinated by Walt's explanations.

"Movies are very popular. Sometimes Lillian and I love to go to the theater and watch them. People who are in a movie are called "movie stars." It means that everybody in our country has seen them, and it has made them popular," continued Walt. He tried to keep his explanations as simple as possible, especially since Mickey had never seen a movie before. It was kind of like trying to describe the color "blue" to a blind person.

"That reminds me…" Walt went into his upper jacket pocket and unfolded the piece of paper he had been carrying.

"See the picture of this rabbit?" asked Walt.

Mickey turned his head to the side and looked at the rabbit who was also wearing shorts like his own. He looked back at Walt and nodded.

"Well…this is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. He is going to be in movies…well I hope so," said Walt. "He is what you had seen so many times on my drawing board. I'm going to make cartoons, and before you ask, a cartoon are a bunch of funny drawings like this put together to make it move across the screen. I can tell you don't understand much, but once we get set up in California, you'll see!" laughed Walt.

Mickey gave a big grin.

"By the way, who told you about movies anyway?"

Mickey pointed to the sleeping Fru-Fru in her crate.

"The dog told me."

Walt raised his eyebrows, "Oh….the…dog…"


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The train finally pulled into the station at Los Angeles, California. There was nothing "romantic" about it at all like one would see in a movie. More noisy people, train steam and dust, crying children and a mixture of military soldiers here and there. Walt, Lillian and Mickey looked a little worn for wear, but they gathered all their effects and went into the station to get out of the summer sun and to catch their breath.

Even though Walt didn't want to admit it, Mickey _was_ a problem sometimes, especially when it came to being around other people and situations like traveling cross-country.

Mickey did try to do his best and be good, but little did he realize was that he almost caused all of them to be thrown off the train the night before when he escaped from the baggage/animal car and began a wild goose chase up and down the berths. It was a hilarious scene to behold with the conductor and porters trying to catch him, ladies screaming, men throwing shoes at him and children trying to hug him. Walt had to almost get down on his knees to plead with the conductor to let them stay on the train, after Mickey was caught. He scolded Mickey for causing the ruckus, but still, there was so much Mickey didn't understand, so scolding him meant having to explain _why._ It could be exhausting at times.

"Nineteen twenty-three is going to be our year, don't forget it," Walt said to Lillian, who was powdering her nose to bring back the glow to her face. He had so many ideas- he just _had_ to get them out there for people to see. He surely didn't have much else.

Luckily, Walt had an uncle who lived out here and had a small house they could stay in. "Here's the address to the rental house. We might be able to get settled in before dark," said Lillian. What would he do without her? He was the dreamer, but she managed to keep his feet on the ground.

A taxi was hailed, and off they went in search of their new house. Once they arrived, they compared it to the photo which was sent to Lillian weeks earlier. It was small, decent, and modestly furnished. Lillian made the prior arrangements with Walt's uncle, so all they had to do was to get the key and walk on in.

"Good thing the electricity's flowing!" exclaimed Lillian as she threw her hat on the sofa. Walt was looking at the kitchen and smiled at how small and doll-like it was. It was good enough for the three of them, anyway.

"I'll unpack our trunks later dear, I need to catch my breath," said Lillian, settling on the soft plush sofa.

"Take your time, we're not going anywhere soon!" sighed Walt as he settled down next to her. "At least we've made it in."

Silence.

"It's awfully quiet…where's Mickey?" asked Lillian in a whisper.

"Shh…don't' talk too loud, he'll find us!' laughed Walt as he threw his arms around his darling wife and kissed her. "I think I saw him roaming about the other rooms."

He knew Mickey well, because that's exactly what Mickey was doing. He was not getting into mischief; he was just trying to get used to his new surroundings. He remembered what his mother had taught him and he used his nose to take in the new smells, and his round ears tried to lock in on any sounds he heard outside the windows.

His explorations took him into one of the bedrooms, where he saw a bed and a dressing table. He pulled out the dressing table stool and looked at his reflection in the mirror. People say that you should never force an animal to look in a mirror at themselves, but this situation was a little different. What Mickey saw surprised him, and he nearly fell off the stool.

Mickey saw another mouse staring back at him. He blinked his eyes and the reflection did the same. Whatever he did, the other Mickey in the mirror copied. After he got used to this game, he took the time to really look at himself. He took his velvet hands and felt his round ears. Then he stretched his arms out and put one foot up in the air. Mickey giggled a little when he saw himself, then suddenly…he stopped.

He gave a sigh and looked at himself once more. He looked at his bright red shorts with the two buttons in front. He seemed to have come through so much, but still he realized something was…missing.

He plopped down on the stool and stared at the floor, deep in thought.

"_I am very far away now from the farm where I was born. What would I be doing now if I was with my mother? I wish she could see how I've grown. I know I wouldn't be with humans, that's for sure, or wearing these… clothes. Sometimes I feel so mixed up inside. When I think of what I did….what I did to someone who loved me…_

"Mickey! There you are!" exclaimed Lillian. "You were so quiet. Are you okay?"

"Mickey's O-K!"

Lillian went over to the mouse and lifted him up. It seemed she was having it a little harder each time now since Mickey was getting a little heavier. She remembered long ago of the time when he was in the basket in Walt's workroom in Kansas. He was smaller and so pitiful. But looking at how Mickey has made such a wonderful addition to their lives, she doesn't regret any of the past. The mouse with the clown-like face looked up at her and gave her his most winning-est grin ever. He didn't talk anymore when he saw her face. Her hand absent-mindedly went to his forehead and then petted him between his ears.

"_Why isn't she talking to me anymore?"_ wondered Mickey to himself. He leaned his head on her chest and was still. Lillian knew she was showing her best face to Walt and Mickey. She didn't ask Mickey any more questions; maybe because she was feeling the same way he was, nervous and frightened of the unknown.

Summer quickly turned into early fall, and still the Disneys were not doing as well as hoped. Walt was trying the best he could, going from movie studio to studio with no luck. In between times, he was able to sell a cartoon caption or two to a newspaper or magazine. He could not even afford a decent suit; so Lillian tried as best she could to stitch up his old clothes to try to make them look as presentable as possible. Not long after they arrived in California, Walt re-hashed an idea he had when he was still in Kansas City. He wanted to tell the tale of a little girl named Alice who, with his artwork of funny cartoon animals, would have lots of adventures together. But there was one catch—the "Alice" character would be a real girl living in a cartoon world. He had even found a girl named Virginia Davis to play the little leading lady.

_This was the conversation over breakfast one morning:_

"I don't want to give up on the idea, Lillian. I just know it can work!"

"But where will you find another little girl to play Alice? Of course there are plenty of talented children out here, especially at the Meglin Kiddie Studios.

"Where would I find the MONEY to hire one of them? And who wants to deal with stage mothers?"

"Hmmm….you can always put a curly wig on Mickey here…"

"I'm serious, Lillian."

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart, but the only way you can find a child _like_ her is to bring_ her_ here."

"THAT'S IT!"

"That's what?"

"I'm going to send a telegram to Roy and then Ub. Tell them to get into contact with Virginia's mother! I AM going to have Virginia play Alice, and Ub might help me draw her cartoons!"

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

"If it doesn't…what are you talking about? It WILL work! You'll see!"

_**October, 1923**_

The time after Walt left his door that morning felt like a whirlwind of activity. Since Walt always saw himself as a dreamer, he usually had to turn to his brother Roy for help in matters of business and finance. Here he was, talking about making an animated feature, and he didn't even own a camera! His brother never let him down though, and Roy followed Walt to California and helped him create the Disney Brothers Studio.

Now that he had his own building, a camera, and much negotiating, Walt was also finally able to get Virginia's Davis' family to agree to move out to California to work at the studio. The next few weeks Walt literally lived at the studio drawing, filming and drawing so he could keep his schedule.

Lillian helped him as best she could by fixing tasty lunches and dinners and brought them to him at his studio. Mickey was trying to be patient, but not seeing Walt very often was making him feel left out or looked over. Lillian could also draw a bit and helped him paint the animation cells. He finally realized he was a bit over his head, and he sent another telegram to see if his best friend Ub Iwerks would still consider to move out to California to work with him like old times. He loved Ub's work because he worked good and especially fast. He was simply the best.

One night they literally spent the whole night there. Mickey was in his corner trying to stay out of trouble. All he could see was the back of Walt facing the drawing board sketching, erasing, drawing some more, or putting paper in the trash can. Mickey felt like if he didn't do something he was going to lose his mind.

So he gave a big sigh. It snapped Walt out of his work-mode.

"Hey there buddy."

"uh Hullo."

"What's wrong, pal? You think I don't have any time for you?"

Mickey looked at him sideways, but didn't answer. Walt knew anyway.

"Come here Mickey, I want to show you something."

Walt took Mickey by the hand and went out into the dimly lit street and stood in front of the building.

"You see that? That sign says Walt Disney Studios! After all we've been through, I finally have something which is ours again. This is why I've been working so hard. Not only for myself, but for you too, Mickey."

"For me too?"

"You betcha! We lost a lot, back in Kansas, but now we are slowly getting things back again. We're going to be happy just like we used to be!"

Walt went back into the studio to work some more, and Mickey was left standing on the deserted sidewalk. He looked up once more at the sign.

"I hope to be happy too, just like I used to be," he whispered to himself.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

In the four years which passed since the time Walt arrived in California, he was churning out more and more work. He was finally able to get his cartoons into some of the local theaters. The "Alice" pictures were doing well. Audiences were amazed at the stories of a little girl who could play in a cartoon world. During this time, Lillian could also see a change in Walt's moods. He wasn't as introverted into his own thoughts and used that energy to come up with more ideas. She was entertained by some of his childlike antics as he tried to work out scenes for a cartoon. But all good ideas do run their turn, and was realizing that the "Alice" comedies could not continue to hold an audience's interest. By this time, he and Ub went onward to work on the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit's character. Oswald was definitely something which was on Walt's mind for a long time, long before Mickey came into his life. Now he was finally going to move forward and bring him to the silver screen.

During the day, Mickey did what little he could do to help out. Lillian kept Mickey busy by giving him piano lessons. Walt asked her what would possess her to try to teach Mickey how to play. She answered that Mickey seemed interested in the piano for quite a long time, but would only bang on the keys and make a lot of noise. She added if he was going to do that, he might as well learn something on it before he broke it.

Walt looked thoughtful. "Well, at least he's doing something useful. That skill might come in handy one day," he replied reflectively.

Mickey heard Walt in the other room, and ran in. He reached up, tugging his pants leg. "Look!" he exclaimed as he held up some sheet music. It was titled "_My Little Goldfish_." It was music for a beginner. Mickey was beaming with happiness. He didn't get to see Walt like he used to because was always busy working or talking with other people.

"I can play this!" said Mickey. He quickly ran to the piano, climbed up on the seat and spread out the music as he was taught. Walt looked at Mickey impressively, and sat down on the couch next to Lillian to get ready for the mini concert.

"_I have a lit-tle gold-fish…swimming around in waa-ter"_sang Mickey as he accompanied his tune. Lillian looked at Walt giving him a wink and a smile. Walt kissed her cheek. He found her so amazing at times like this.

Just then the bliss was broken by a knock at the door. Walt looked at his watch. "Oh, it must be Ub and the new guy he wanted me to meet to help with the animation," he explained to Lillian.

Lillian walked to the door and greeted the men.

"Walt!" said Ub.

"Is this the new animation man?" asked Walt.

"Yep, sure is! I told him about our Oswald project, and he would like to see what we're doing," answered Ub.

Their noisy greetings all but drowned out Mickey's grand piano solo. He tried to continue, but the rollicking laughter and conversation blended in with his playing and he could no longer keep his concentration.

"I really think this rabbit is going to be popular!" said Ub. "He is really a funny character!"

"He's been on my drawing board ever since we were back in Kansas!" added Walt. "Say, let's go down to the studio now, maybe we can work out some final ideas before we do a wrap," he said excitedly.

Walt grabbed his sweater, kissed Lillian goodbye and walked out the door. Lillian closed the door and turned to look at Mickey, who was still sitting on the bench, looking sad.

"Mickey, go ahead and finish your music," she said, still trying to sound cheerful.

Mickey didn't finish. He slid off the bench and went to another room. This time Lillian knew why.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit became a serious piece of work for Walt and his team. This character had to go through a few changes before Walt finally found the perfect fit for the rabbit. When Walt finished his first all-cartoon picture, he couldn't wait to present it to the studios. Oswald's first picture, _Poor Papa_, was turned down by the Universal studio because even though Walt and Ub was proud of it, it was not good enough to be shown to the public. Universal thought it looked… "sloppy."

Walt and Ub with the rest of the staff went back to the drawing board (literally) and came up with a new picture entitled _Trolley Troubles. _ It was on September 5, 1927 when it was released, and finally became Walt's feather in his cap. He created a character which gave Felix the Cat a run for the money. Walt really believed that his dreams were becoming realized. He couldn't have been happier.

When 1928 rolled in, Disney wanted to do a little more with his newfound fame. He felt he needed to talk to the studio executive, Charles Mintz regarding his profits with Oswald.

One evening over dinner, Walt, Lillian, and Ub was discussing the proposition. Mickey had just finished eating and was in the bedroom listening to the radio. He was feeling so left out these days. He knew Walt was doing everything for them to have a better life, but all he wanted was just to have Walt back again, even if for just one day. Most of the time the talk was about Oswald.

Oswald, Oswald, Oswald. That rabbit. That rabbit could do just about anything. He could take off his ears, or his foot and make everybody laugh, including Lillian and Walt.

"What about me?" Mickey quietly asked himself.

Just then, Walt walked into the bedroom. He reached under the bed, and pulled out a suitcase.

"Hi pal," said Walt smiling. "What are you doing Mickey? I thought I heard you talking."

Mickey had to come up with something so Walt wouldn't be suspicious.

"Oh, just thinking about the piano music in my head," he replied.

"That's great buddy. Well, I've got to tell you something!"

Mickey was getting excited. Walt had something good to share with him, so Mickey jumped off the other side of the bed and ran up to Walt.

Walt clicked open the suitcase then went to the dresser to look for a few shirts.

Well, Mickey, I'm going to be gone for a few days," began Walt.

As soon as he said that, Mickey's face fell. Walt noticed it right away.

"Hey…something wrong buddy?" asked Walt.

Mickey shook his head no.

"Tomorrow, I am going to New York. I know you don't know where it is, but it is very far from California. I have to do some important business there about my new cartoon character, Oswald," he explained as he was still packing.

"Oh," Mickey replied. He had no idea where this "place" New York was, but all he knew was that Walt was going away again, and he wouldn't see him for a long time. All because of...

Walt added a few more items before speaking again. "When I get back, we'll have a lot of fun, ok pal? Just you and me, like old times," Walt promised, bending down to rub him between his ears. Mickey giggled, but still tried to show Walt his best face.

A number of days passed after Walt left for the city. Lillian could tell Mickey really wasn't quite himself when Walt was away and tried to distract his thoughts with short outings, treats or games. One day, he noticed that Lillian was putting on her hat and gloves. He also noticed she was wearing the dress she wears for special occasions.

"You look pretty," Mickey said shyly.

"Why thank you, sir," said Lillian sweetly. "Do you know why I am in my special dress?"

Mickey shook his head no.

"Walt is coming back today from New York!" she exclaimed. She bent down, grabbed Mickey by his hands and swung him around.

"Oh boy! Hot dog!" shouted Mickey.

Lillian arrived at the station a little early so she wouldn't miss a moment of his arrival. Mickey stayed close to Lillian as he promised but it was hard trying to conceal his excitement.

The train finally arrived at 2:00 p.m. Lillian walked out the station to see the loads of people leaving the train and meeting loved ones. Lillian didn't see Walt anywhere no matter how hard she strained her eyes to search the crowds. She felt a tug on the hem of her dress, and saw Mickey pointing to his left. She looked up and there was her husband.

"WALT!" called Lillian, waving her glove in the air. Mickey tried to wave at him too, but he was short, but he made an effort nonetheless. Walt shuffled through the crowd until he finally reached Lillian and Mickey. He kissed her on the cheek, and picked Mickey up off the ground. Mickey was in seventh heaven. Walt was home!

"Walt, how was your trip? Did it go well?" asked Lillian excitedly.

Walt gave her a look which told her right away, things didn't go as he thought they would.

"Let's go home, I'll tell you then," said Walt solemnly.

Once they arrived home, Lillian had prepared him a wonderful meal of beef stew, rice and homemade bread with tea to drink. She gave Mickey some hot dogs to eat. He could eat them just about every day. For some reason, there wasn't a lot of human food he liked to eat. After Mickey was fed, she finally sat down to dinner and to find out what was on Walt's mind.

"So….are you ready to tell me what happened in New York?" began Lillian.

Walt took a huge sigh, and suddenly he wasn't quite hungry anymore. He pushed his plate to the side, much to Lillian's dismay.

"That Mintz!" Walt said with a lot of bitterness in his voice. "He thought I should settle for less than a 50% of profit from Oswald. He's stating that the economy is not doing that well right now. He says that things might get better…_MIGHT._ The other animators decided to stay with Mintz. I decided to quit."

Lillian, by now also stopped eating in order to understand where this conversation was heading.

"I had to leave Oswald behind too…"

"Walt…oh, no. Why did you have to leave Oswald with Mintz?"

"Oswald was mine, Lillian. That Charles Mintz did some kind of underhanded business and took it all out from under my nose- Oswald, my animators, and then EXPECTED me to take only 20%. He saw that Oswald could make him a lot of money, that's what. He didn't need me. Let him have it all, Lillian!"

Walt left the kitchen table and grabbed his jacket.

"I'll be at the studio, Lillian," he said gruffly.

"But Walt, you just got home, you hardly touched your food. Why don't you try to forget about it all for a while. Things might look differently in the morning," pleaded Lillian.

"No, while I was on the train, I was trying to come up with another idea, another character…something," said Walt. "I can't stop just yet. Try to understand."

Just then, Mickey peeked into the living room to see what the fuss was about. Walt never really raised his voice with Lillian, but he could see that something was wrong, and it had to do with that rabbit named Oswald.

Before Walt closed the door behind him, he turned and looked at Mickey. He slowly came back in and crouched down and beckoned Mickey to come to him. Mickey did as he was told. Walt softly embraced the little mouse, then held him at shoulder length to look at him. Mickey was a little confused as to why Walt was staring at him so.

"I think I've got an idea….come with me Mickey! Lillian, call Ub and tell him to meet me at the studio!" said Walt.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Once at the studio, Walt left Mickey standing in the middle of the outer office floor. Mickey took a seat on one of the benches to watch Walt as he breezed from one room to another, talking to himself, sometimes even laughing. He heard words or phrases "Mintz," "I'm better off," "there 'ya go!" coming from Walt. Mickey twisted his face in confusion. Humans sure are funny sometimes.

While Mickey was being entertained by Walt's activity, Ub came rushing into the office.

"Walt! Where are 'ya? Lillian called me and told me to meet you here!"

"Back here, Ub, bring Mickey with 'ya!" was the reply.

"Ya, hear that Mickey? Let's see what's going on!" said Ub happily.

Ub and Mickey entered a room in the very back of the studio. Walt sat on a stool in front of a drawing board. Ub and Mickey looked at each other, then found places to sit to hear what Walt was going to say.

"OK, this is where we are at, Ub. I am on my last leg here. You know the deal with Mintz fell through and I lost everything. I had to give up Oswald...big loss, but I think I have another idea that just might work," began Walt. "On the way back home on the train, I tried thinking of other animals we could possibly create films with. But before I left home just now to come to the studio, I saw…Mickey.

"A mouse character?" asked Ub.

"Yes. A mouse."

Both men looked at Mickey and looked at each other smiling.

Ub hadn't known Mickey very long, so he had to ask Walt about what type of "personality" this mouse had. Walt was not stingy with information.

"Mickey can be funny at times. He is definitely a fighter, very strong willed. Then he can be pretty naughty at times because he is so curious. He tries to have manners, but always falls a little short in that department. There have also been times when he has pulled tricks on Lillian and I. He's definitely doesn't live up to what people would think as a "quite little mouse-type," laughed Walt.

"But most of all, he is loyal and has a good heart," added Walt warmly as he looked at Mickey fondly.

"Let's get started, we'll do some rough sketches to see if we want to go further, ok?"

Walt then turned to Mickey, who was looking very confused at what the two men were talking about. Walt had to talk to Mickey about what was getting ready to happen to him.

"Mickey, come here, buddy. You know that Ub and I like to draw pictures, right?"

Mickey nodded.

"Well, we would like to draw pictures of you. I want you to do as I say, and you do them, ok?" asked Walt.

"What do I do?" asked Mickey.

"You will pose," interrupted Ub. "Then I will draw you in that pose."

"It will be like taking a picture, except it will take a little longer," said Walt.

"OK, I'll try," said Mickey, not letting on that he wasn't totally sure of what they wanted him to do.

"Good boy, Mickey," said Walt.

It was still early in the evening, so the two men started right away. Walt sat Mickey on the desk while Ub quickly drew his face. Mickey had to turn his face and body in funny angles and hold them there while Ub or Walt sketched as quickly as possible. At first, Walt had to hold Mickey's head with his hand to get it to be in the position he wanted, which Mickey found to be uncomfortable at times; but he tried to relax as the hours went by.

It was almost one o'clock in the morning when the art fest was done; not because of the artists, but because that Mickey was getting so tired and sleepy.

"I think my little pal has had enough, Ub, let's go home," said Walt, who was also yawning as he picked up Mickey and cradled his sleeping form in his arms.

"Ub, we have to make SURE no one knows about this idea," whispered Walt. "I couldn't stand it if another idea was taken from me."

"I'm with 'ya Walt," replied Ub confidently.

"I think we can put this story together quickly and get it released to the public. "You know, Walt, why don't I create a "set" and props for Mickey to work on. I can get an amateur cameraman to film him," said Ub

"Sounds interesting. I'd like to see that when you finish. Tomorrow, while you are working on the sets and props, I'll think of a story for this little guy," replied Walt.

**The Walt Disney Studio, Summer, 1928**

The next few weeks, Walt and Ub came up with the idea for Mickey which was inspired by the headlines: CHARLES LINDGERG first person to fly cross the ATLANTIC OCEAN!

"Walt! Do you think this would be a great idea for our first Mickey Mouse film?" asked Ub, as he held up his newspaper for Walt to take a look.

"I think it would be a swell idea. Everyone is talking about Lindy, so I think they would like to see a funny film about a mouse trying to imitate an American hero," said Walt.

Ub brought out many sketches he had done in the days before. He had drawn all sorts of barnyard animals which would populate Mickey's world. He did the same thing for Alice, so now he would do it for Mickey.

"Hmmm…maybe…get started on it, and see how it works out," said Walt. While Ub and the cameramen were busy with Mickey in the studio, he was still going to various movie studios and theaters to advertise his budding cartoon business.

Mickey was very happy and busy just like he wanted to be. Lillian was now at the studio too, helping to paint backgrounds and keeping everyone fed. Mickey learned that he was going to be on a "big screen" which Walt told him about frequently, so he had to do things just right.

One thing Lillian and Walt noticed about Mickey was that he was maturing. He didn't quite look like a baby anymore, but was still very "cute." He seemed more attentive than he used to be, and physically, he outgrew his first pair of shorts long ago. Lillian, always good with sewing, made him more than one pair of shorts just in case the others were dirty, or torn after some adventure Mickey created for himself.

Late in the afternoon after a day of negotiating, a tired Walt came to the studio to see how things were going. Mickey, even though he was way at the back of the building, could hear Walt's footsteps and ran out to meet him much to the dismay of the cameraman who was working on one of his shots.

Mickey happily jumped up on a tired Walt, but quickly slid back down to the floor when he saw how bedraggled he looked. Ub and the cameraman came up to the front also to give themselves a break from their hectic schedule. But Ub had a little bit of a problem of which he had to tell Walt about.

"How are things going, boys?" asked Walt as he loosened his tie.

"So far, so good. I think we can get a few gags from this "Lindy" film, but there is something…missing," added the cameraman.

Walt raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What is it? Is it something I can order for you? I'll see what I can do for you. Just name it"

"Um, not quite, Walt. This might _not_ be easy to come by," added Ub and exchanged nervous glances with the cameraman.

"Really? What is it?"

"We need…a female mouse."

"Ohhhhhhhh….."

**END OF PART ONE**


	23. Chapter 23

**IT WAS ALL STARTED BY A MOUSE, PART TWO**

**Chapter 23**

**How Deep Is The Ocean**

_Without the microphone_  
_there would be no spotlight,_  
_no band backing me_  
_with bluesy swing._

_My voice was too small,_  
_barely an octave,_  
_but the mic enlarged my songs,_  
_let me hold listeners close._

_With the microphone,_  
_my voice was an ocean,_  
_deep as my moods,_  
_and audiences dove in._

by Carole Boston Weatherford

_**Plaza Hotel, North Avenue and North Park Street,**_

_**CHICAGO, 1928**_

"Telegram for Miss LaLa LaMarr! Telegram for Miss LaLa LaMarr!" shouted the pageboy as he walked through the large lobby of the Plaza Hotel. The freckled-faced boy was used to finding the people he needed; either they were lawyers, professors, matrons of society or show people. He could recognize show people the easiest; there was just something about them which made them stand out from all the rest—maybe it was the shoes, furs, feathers or tons of luggage; the latter which he disliked seeing the most. If one of his buddies failed to come to work on time, he had to be the one to carry all of those trunks, bags or poodles to a room, and receive a lousy dime for his efforts.

"Telegram for Miss LaLa LaMarr!" he shouted once more.

"Here, boy," came a soft reply.

He spun around, mostly out of surprise for he hadn't seen her; he held out the silver tray which held a letter. A white-gloved hand daintily took the letter.

"Thank you so much. Here's a quarter for your efforts," she added.

The page tipped his hat. "You're very welcome," he said gladly. "Much better than a lousy dime," he thought to himself. He walked a few paces and sneaked a side glance at the woman. Not bad looking; not at all. She was slim, tall and elegant. He wasn't quite sure of her age though; she seemed in between young and _mature_. Her cloche hat added to the beauty of her entire outfit. She wore jewelry of course, but she didn't overdo it like a common girl of the street might. Classy through and through.

The woman continued to walk to the elevator and entered in.

"Eighth floor," she softly said to the operator.

The operator nodded, turned the lever and the elevator ascended to her floor.

Once the elevator arrived at her floor, she walked out and strolled down the hall to her room. It was Sunday, so it was very quiet, but as she walked closer and closer to her room, she heard the sounds of a piano. Immediately her eyes narrowed, and her steps became quicker as she reached the door.

She entered the room to find her musical partner, Minerva Mouse playing the piano. The mouse obviously hadn't heard her come in; she was so into the music that she was banging out on the keys.

LaLa slammed the door. Minerva was so startled she almost fell off the stool.

"Oh….Miss LaLa….I…I didn't hear you come in," she said in her small, light voice.

"Well, you'll hear it if we get thrown outta here!" said LaLa slipping out of her coat. "You know it's Sunday! It'sa wonder no one's complained about it!"

"I'm really sorry," Minerva stuttered again, picking up LaLa's coat and hanging it in the closet.

"I'll forgive 'ya this time, Minnie," said LaLa. "But don't keep being forgetful like that."

Minnie didn't answer, but went to the bathroom. She stood on the stool to look at her reflection in the mirror. Sometimes when she looked in the mirror, she imagined she could see beyond her refection –what was out there, what was out there for her. Lately, she could see nothing except her round face, round ears and her eyes which had lost their sparkle lately.

"MINNIE!" called LaLa from the other room.

Minnie jumped off the stool and ran to see what LaLa wanted. LaLa had made herself comfortable on the bed. She was leaning back on her pillow enjoying a cigarette and reading the letter she had received earlier.

"Look at this! My agent got us a gig at the Picwick Theater downtown! WHOOPEE! Do you know what that means, girl? Easy Street, that's what," said LaLa excitedly.

"Really Miss LaLa? This might be the start of what you always wanted!" replied Minnie excitedly.

LaLa LaMarr was born Gladys Frances McMann in St. Louis, Missouri. At an early age, Gladys always wanted to be on the stage and left home at sixteen to pursue her dream as did many girls her age. She joined a couple of vaudeville groups along the way and sang, danced or even performed circus-like acrobatics to get her foot in the door of the world of entertainment. She had a good singing voice and pretty face to boot, but she wanted to find her own name and her own star.

Somewhere between St. Louis and New York, Gladys became "_LaLa LaMarr_." By this time, she had gained a lot of experience on the road and earned a few bookings for herself on the vaudeville circuit. It was on a visit back home to Missouri from a short but successful stint in the northeast that she met Minerva, or Minnie for short. Just as she had a few moments ago, she was drawn to the sounds of a piano which that day came from a small restaurant. Before she went in to see who was playing, she peeked into the window. Much to her surprise, it was a mouse! She was amazed at what she was looking at. LaLa entered the restaurant and stood by the piano. The mouse looked up at her and smiled, but didn't miss a beat of the music. LaLa glanced at some of the sheet music she was playing from. This mouse could play all the popular hit songs from the live stage as well as movie tunes!

When the mouse finished playing, LaLa offered Minnie some lunch. The mouse was a little timid at first, but agreed to sit down and rest herself. LaLa asked Minnie where was she from, how did she learn to play the piano- all sorts of questions.

Minnie told her that her real name is Minerva. She came from a farm family, which consisted of her parents, Marcus and Margie and an older sister Mandie. Her grandparents were named Marshall and Matilda who were the first to move out to Kansas City many years before. She also has two twin nieces, Millie and Melody. LaLa noticed that she spoke very fondly of Millie and Melody especially.

LaLa asked Minnie if she would be interested in going into show business. She could see the mouse's eyes twinkle when she brought up that prospect. She told Minnie about the kind of act she did; that she mostly sang "torch" songs and did a few snazzy jazz numbers.

"Would you like to see a sample of what I do?" asked LaLa.

"I'd be delighted!" said Minnie, immediately leaving her seat and skipping back to the piano. She flipped through her sheet music and found the popular song _"That's My Weakness Now."_ LaLa took off her light blue coat and nodded for Minnie to begin.

**"_He's got eyes of blue,_**

**_I never cared for eyes of blue,_**

**_But he's got eyes of blue and that's my weakness now…"_**

The patrons in the restaurant suddenly came out of their eating stupor and were enthralled by the cute girl/mouse duo. Minnie never missed a beat and LaLa didn't forget a word of the popular song. The audience was wowed by the entertainment and started singing along.

They must have been doing a great job, because people who were walking by were curious and started to come into the small eatery. By the time the tune was finished, everyone was madly applauding them, and asked for some more musical numbers. LaLa, never one to miss opportunity, took off her cloche, and passed it around for tips.

After another round of the same song, Minnie and LaLa sang some Eddie Cantor tunes, and a few by Helen Kane, in which LaLa imitated the "Boop-Boop-A-Doop" trademark perfectly.

Of course this meant a wonderful afternoon for the business owner as well. When Minnie and LaLa sat down again for rest, he gave them each a huge slice of chocolate cake "on the house" and thanked them both for such wonderful entertainment.

LaLa continued her stories of being on the road, performing, or meeting famous people like the Marx Brothers, Burns and Allen, or Ma Rainey. The more she talked, the more Minnie's eyes shone. Finally, the mouse's haze was broken by the following question:

"Would you like to be my partner in show business?"

Minnie didn't quite know what to say. Here was this beautiful stranger who blew in from heaven knows where, could sing and dance and rubbed elbows with the rich and famous! She was asking her to be her show-biz partner! What WOULD she say?

"I'll pay you five dollars a week…"

The mouse fiddled with her fork and began stuttering, "I-I-I- don't know, this is very sudden…I have been thinking about going into show business seriously myself, a-a-and, well…I-I-I guess it might be as good a time as any…I guess," she was finally able to say.

Five dollars a week was pretty good money too.

LaLa's eyes opened widely and she clapped her hands! "WHOOPIE! That's what I was hoping you would say! I really could use your help on the road. Not only do I need someone to help play my music, but I also need someone to assist me with my costumes and makeup! You'd be perfect!" she said gleefully.

She stood up and began fumbling in her purse. She handed Minnie a small business card. "Look, kid, it's been swell! Here's my card. If you want to find me, I'm staying over at the Deershead Inn. I'm leaving on the 10:05 train tomorrow. If you want to join me, let me know!" said LaLa.

As she headed for the door, she blew kisses to everyone in the place.

"TaTa darlings! It's been just wonderful!" she cooed to them.

Minnie still stood holding the business card LaLa had given her. Her thoughts were racing.

"_This is the opportunity you've been waiting for Minnie."_

"_Take the bull by the horns and just go!"_

"_You never know where this might take you.'_

"_It might take you to …Hollywood!"_

"Yes, it might," she said to herself out loud.

She walked back to the piano, gathered her sheet music and placed them in her little cardboard case.

Humming happily, she walked out the door and over to the Deershead Inn.

That was almost a year ago. Now here they were in Chicago but to Minnie, she still wondered where were the "big times" which LaLa promised? All Minnie was seeing was dusty train rides, less than decent hotels and many times having to skip some meals in order to get the money together to buy a train ticket. She still held on to the belief that stardom was just around the corner, so Minnie was happy this deal came through too.

"The Pickwick is where a lot of famous people perform, right Miss LaLa?" asked Minnie.

"You know it! Hey…we gotta get ready! Uh, Minnie, look through my dresses and find that sparkly green number for me. I think I'm gonna check out the theater before we go on that stage. I wanna see who runs things around there, if ya know what I mean," said LaLa slyly. "Oh, and draw a bath for me and drop some lavender in the water. I wanna smell good when I do business," she added.

While LaLa was humming a tune to herself in the other room, Minnie started running the water in the bathtub for her. So much to do, so little time it seems.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 **

"Come on, Minnie girl, fame awaits!" said LaLa giving herself one last look in the mirror before heading out to the Pickwick Theater.

"Coming!" replied Minnie, as she gathered her sheet music and ukulele. Rather be safe than sorry. There's no telling what type of song the manager would like to hear.

As soon as LaLa opened the door to the hallway, Minnie could see her transform into a totally different person. LaLa was now the Prima Donna, Big Times Baby, The Star. She held her head high so when she looked at you she simply rolled an eye to your direction with just a slight tilt of her cloche-covered head. Minnie often found herself doing the same when she was alone in front of the mirror, but the effect wasn't quite the same.

Once they reached the street, LaLa hailed a taxi. Before they stepped in, Minnie's ukulele case flew open, and some of her sheet music started to fly away.

"My music!" Minnie shouted. Luckily the hotel doorman saw it in time to catch the sheets and bring them back to Minnie.

"Here you go, Miss," said the doorman. "I know you'd hate to lose these!"

"Oh, thank you so MUCH!" said Minnie in a melodic voice.

Minnie stooped to put the sheets back into the case. Her work was interrupted by LaLa's voice.

"MINNIE!" shouted LaLa. "HURRY UP! We don't have time to waste! This taxi isn't running off of wishes, you know!"

Minnie hurried as quickly as she could and followed LaLa into the taxi. She gave a side glance as LaLa was fixing her fur wrap around her shoulders. Minnie tried to copy LaLa and fix her little flowered hat which sat on top of her head at a strange angle.

"Minnie…," LaLa began. "You are going to have to learn to think about how you do things. You can be a bit clumsy at times. I know you can't seem to help it right now, but you _are_ going to have to do better. My reputation depends on it. People won't take me seriously in the big vaudeville circuit if they see my assistant bumbling about."

Minnie sighed, but didn't reply. She looked down at her shoes which seemed a little loose for her feet. She looked at her polka dotted skirt and tried to smooth it down before replacing the ukulele case on her lap again.

"_She said I was clumsy… and that I… bumbled_?" Minnie thought to herself. She could feel tears welling up, but she refused to let them fall.

LaLa gave Minnie a side glance and could tell she hit a nerve. Before she could speak, the cabbie announced that they were at the Pickwick.

"Dollar seventy-four, Miss," said the cab driver.

LaLa reached into her purse and paid him. As he drove off, LaLa didn't walk into the building right away, but stood there on the sidewalk looking at the building.

"Well Minnie, here we go. Ready?" she asked the mouse.

Minnie nodded, making sure she had a firm hold on the ukulele case this time.

Once inside, they were awed by the beauty of the lobby area. On the walls were the pictures of various stars who visited there many years before. Minnie loved looking at these glamour shots. LaLa felt the amazement too, but still kept up her glamour persona and acted as if she was used to seeing this often.

LaLa walked at an even pace to the receptionist's desk. Behind the desk typing feverously was a secretary who looked to be about thirty years old. She was pretty, and didn't fit the "secretary-type" of person who is always thought to be bespectacled or have her hair in a bun. She was pretty enough to be on the stage herself. She looked up to see LaLa approach the desk.

"Good Morning, may I help you Miss?" asked the secretary.

"LaLa LaMarr to see Mr. Brison," replied LaLa

"Certainly, I'll see if he's available. Just have a seat over there," said the secretary. She went into an adjoining office. LaLa could hear some talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Minnie could understand though, because mice have excellent hearing.

"She asked the man in there was he expecting you," said Minnie.

LaLa looked at Minnie giving a half-smile. The secretary came back to where LaLa and Minnie sat.

"He said he will meet you on the stage. Someone will escort you there," said the secretary.

"Thank you _soooooo_ much," said LaLa in a voice which would make Greta Garbo jealous.

Out came their escort. Much to LaLa's and Minnie's surprise, it was a rodent. He was a bit taller than Minnie's size and slender. He was also pretty well dressed in a pair of black pin-striped slacks, white shirt and a black and grey tie. His shiny black and white spectator shoes rounded out the entire look.

He stood before the two ladies and looked at Minnie for a few seconds.

"Mornin' ladies! Mortimer's the name! Let me escort you two beauties to the stage where fame awaits!" he exclaimed. He took LaLa's hand and kissed it; luckily he didn't see her face squeeze a bit when he did that. Then he looked at Minnie who really didn't have any type of expression on her face.

"What's your name sweetie?" asked Mortimer as he bent a little lower to talk to her.

"Minerva…um… Mouse, but everyone calls me Minnie…just Minnie," she said shyly.

"Heeyyy," you're kinda cute, kid," said Mortimer.

Mortimer offered his arm to escort LaLa to the stage area where they immediately heard the sounds of many tapping feet and a piano playing.

Minnie was mesmerized by all the music and dancing which now surrounded her. She quickly forgot her melancholy mood and absorbed all the theatrical activity. Music always made her happy.

"One-two-three, then one-two!" said a frustrated dance director as he was trying to get the chorus girls into their routine.

Mortimer walked up to Mr. Brison, who was sitting in the front row overlooking all the performances which were lined up to play on opening night.

"Uh, Mr. Brison, here's the dame which you called to come see 'ya about being in da show," said Mortimer. "The other cutie is her assistant," he added giving Minnie a wink. Minnie blushed and shuffled her feet.

A short, heavy-set, balding man got to his feet. "Oh! Good! Tim Brison, manager of the Pickwick, one of the greatest vaudeville houses in the country! So what do you have to offer?" he asked.

LaLa tried her best to pour on the glamour as much as she dared.

"Give us a chance to show you what we know," she purred.

"I like that. Surprise us," said Mr. Brison. "Mortimer, show them the dressing room."

"Sure thing, boss, this way, ladies," said Mortimer as politely as he could muster.

LaLa was never surprised about dressing rooms. This one was no exception. Funny how they expect actors to put on a great show but the dressing rooms were always less than inspiring. One little dripping sink, a sofa, a partition to change behind and a dressing table with a lighted mirror with only some of the lights working.

Oh well, that's showbiz.

After Mortimer left, LaLa and Minnie looked around the room. LaLa gave a big sigh and started to take off her fur wrap. She sat at the dressing table and opened her small makeup case. She only gave herself a small tap here and there of face powder and refreshed her lipstick.

"Look Minnie, we gotta do good out there. Like I told you earlier, this could really make us a name and give us more work!" said LaLa as she was straightening her stockings.

"Yes, I agree, Miss LaLa," said Minnie as she sorted out her sheet music. She had scores for piano, ukulele and harp. Whatever the occasion, Minnie tried to be ready.

While LaLa primped, Minnie sat on the sofa, and started to strum her ukulele and sing a popular song she recently heard on the radio.

"_If I had a talking picture of you..uu_

_I would run it every time I felt blu…uue_

_I would sit there in the gloom, of my lonely little room_

_And applaud each time you whispered that "I love you, love youuu…"_

They heard a rap on the door.

"Come in!" shouted LaLa

It was Mortimer. "Mr. Brison wants to know if 'ya ready to come on out."

"Yes, we are!" said LaLa with a ton of enthusiasm in her voice.

"OK, follow me," said Mortimer.

When they reached the stage, an animal act was just finishing up, and so was the janitor who followed grumbling because he had to clean up after those animals which used the bathroom on the stage during the act. This time it was a bear. Last week it was doves- who knows what will come next.

"Ok, Miss LaLa LaMarr!" called Mr. Brison from his seat in the audience.

LaLa heard her name and she and Minnie rushed out. LaLa smiled broadly as if she had a full house. Minnie kind of just stared, but smiled and tried to show as much confidence as LaLa did. She curtsied daintly and held out her polka dotted skirt at the sides.

"OK, what are you opening up with?" said Mr. Brison.

"Well," replied LaLa thoughtfully. "I usually start off with a snazzy number you can tap your toes to, then a love song and finish up with a song _AND_ dance number!"

"What does the mouse do?"

"Oh…Minnie? She accompanies me on the piano or whatever instrument the song calls for," replied LaLa.

Mortimer pushed a small upright piano the edge of the stage and stood in the wings. He found himself looking at LaLa's assistant. "She really _is_ kinda cute," he thought to himself.

LaLa didn't waste any more time getting into her routine. Minnie spread out her sheet music and began to play. Before long, all within earshot stopped what they were doing to look at this musical duo. LaLa gave it her all from song to song, and as many times as before, Minnie didn't miss a beat with the tunes she played.

When LaLa finished her last song, everyone was wildly applauding. LaLa gave a glance to Minnie who was still seated on the piano stool. She smiled at LaLa, but didn't move from her place. Let LaLa have her moment.

"BRAVO!" shouted Mr. Brison. "This act will even awaken the dead!"

LaLa beamed. "Really? Oh, thank you, so much!"

"And your piano player…"

LaLa gave another glance at Minnie who was still sitting at the stool. Mr. Brison and Mortimer approached the side steps of the stage and walked over to her. Minnie stood as they approached.

Mr. Brison took both her black velvet hands in his and said, "You, little mousie, must be the _heart_ of the act!" Mortimer nodded in agreement with his boss.

Minnie could feel herself blush when he said that.

LaLa stared.

"Oh, my..," Minnie stammered.

"I mean it, I haven't heard a piano played like that since Scott Joplin! You really have a special talent!" he continued.

"Yeah, Miss Minnie," said Mortimer. "Keep up the good work. 'Ya never know…" he added slyly.

LaLa walked up to Mr. Brison.

"Uh, Mr. Brison, so…are we in?" asked LaLa, growing a little impatient.

Mr. Brison straightened up to look at LaLa. "Of course you are!"

LaLa giggled and clapped her hands. "Oh, Mr. Brison…thank you, s_ooooo_ much!"

"But there's something I'd like to change before I present you," he added.

"What's that?" asked LaLa.

"I'd like to give Minnie her own spot on the billing," he said staring back at a surprised Minnie.

LaLa's face fell. "You want to do what?"

"I'd like to give Minnie her own spot. She could play while the patrons are coming into the theater, and then she can play a bunch of tunes during the middle of the show. She's really good!"

LaLa wasn't prepared for this. This never happened before.

"Mr. Brison, piano players are a dime a dozen," began LaLa in a languid tone.

"BUT…a piano playing _mouse_!" replied Mr. Brison.

At this point, Minnie had been quiet for the most part, but she finally interrupted.

"Mr. Brison…Miss LaLa is right; besides… I have to help her out, we're a team" said Minnie, trying to smile.

Mr. Brison thought for a couple of minutes.

"I still want you to play. I will pay you well if you open tomorrow night."

"TOMORROW?" said LaLa and Minnie in unison.

"Yes. I'd like for Minnie to play. Miss LaLa, you will begin on the following night," said Mr. Brison.

LaLa was speechless. The smile disappeared from her face.

He looked back at Minnie.

"So… it's a date then, Minnie?" asked Mortimer.

Minnie sighed. They really did need more money. It would be much better for them both.

"Ok…I'll do it," she replied.

LaLa gasped and stormed off the stage. Minnie quickly released Mr. Brison's hands and tried to go after her.

"Miss LaLa?!" shouted Minnie.

"What have _I_ done?" she said softly to herself.


End file.
